Alice Mary Robertson

Alice Mary Robertson was born on January 2, 1854. She was born in a place called Tullahassee Mission. This was in Indian Territory, which is now the state of Oklahoma.

Alice's parents were missionaries. A missionary is a person who helps others and teaches about their faith. Her parents worked with Native American people. They also cared a lot about school and helping others. Alice grew up watching her parents do this important work. It made her want to help people too.

Alice went to a college called Elmira College in New York. Back then, not many colleges let women go to school there. Alice graduated in 1873. This means she finished all her classes. Her time in school taught her many things. She would use these lessons for the rest of her life.

After college, Alice went back home to Indian Territory. She became a schoolteacher. Teaching was very important to her. Later, she got a job with the government. She worked as a clerk for the Department of the Interior. A clerk helps with paperwork and other office jobs. This job taught her a lot about how the government worked with Native American people.

In 1889, Alice started her own school. It was called the Minerva Home. This school was for young Creek girls. Creek is the name of a Native American tribe. The school taught the girls and helped them learn skills for life. Alice wanted to help these girls just like her parents had helped others.

In 1920, Alice did something amazing. She ran for a spot in the U.S. House of Representatives. This is a big part of the government that makes laws. Alice won the election! She became the very first woman from Oklahoma to serve in Congress. She was only the second woman ever in the whole country to do this job. The first woman was named Jeannette Rankin.

While working in Congress, Alice cared a lot about veterans. Veterans are people who served in the military. She wanted to make sure they were treated well. She also did not like an idea called the League of Nations. This was a group of countries trying to work together after a big war.

Alice was interesting because she did not always think the way people expected. Even though she was a woman helping other women succeed, she did not support women's right to vote. This surprised many people. It showed that Alice had her own strong opinions, even if they seemed unusual.

Alice never got married. She spent her whole life working to help others. Her job and her personal life were almost the same thing. She cared deeply about Native American rights and teaching young women.

Alice did not win big awards while she was alive. Back then, people did not always celebrate women who worked in government. But after she passed away, more people began to recognize how important her work was. Today, people in Oklahoma remember her as a hero.

Alice's life showed that women could work in government and make a difference. She helped open doors for other women who wanted to do the same. Her work with Native American families also showed how much she cared about helping people who needed it.

After her time in Congress, Alice kept working. She continued helping with schools and social services. She worked hard until the very end of her life. Alice passed away on July 1, 1931. She died in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Even after she was gone, people remembered her hard work and kept being inspired by it.