“Men like to dictate to their wives, and their wives – many
of them- seem to like to be dictated to: There is no responsibility in having
someone other than self to do one’s thinking.”
Grace was born on October 5, 1855 in Hartstown, PA. At the
age of ten the family moved to Fort Collins, CO., where her father became
mayor. In 1885 she graduated with
highest honors from state agricultural college and immediately began a career
teaching English and sociology. Her own
studies continued during this time and she earned her M.S. in 1885. She frequently wrote political articles for
newspapers in Denver and Fort Collins as well as beginning her own magazine,
The Tourney (name changed to the Colorado Woman in 1895), which focused on the
intellectual energy of the West and Colorado in particular. Her goal was to promote an independent public
opinion. She used her magazine as a
political forum and gained recognition and influence. Women gained the vote in
1893 in Colorado and she was elected president of the Colorado Woman’s
Democratic Club. Later she served as
State Superintendent of Public Instruction (1896) winning the election handily
by a large margin. She also served ex-officio as State Librarian. During her administration she raised
qualification standards for teachers, established kindergartens, voc ational
training programs and libraries. She was
often called a “new woman” because of
her can do attitude and the “Little
Woman” because of her petite and youthful appearance.
She did much for the State of Colorado but upon marrying Lt.
Warren Hayden Cowles of the U.S. Army, her name disappeared from political records here as she traveled with
him to his various military assignments. She passed away on the 22nd
of July, 1904 in Assiniboine, Montana.
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