Willard becomes the first corresponding secretary of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union.
On November 18, 1874, Frances Willard was appointed the first corresponding secretary of the newly formed National Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) at its Cleveland convention. This position marked her entry into what would become a lifetime of temperance and women's rights advocacy.
As the first corresponding secretary, Willard played a crucial role in the organizational structure and communication strategies of the WCTU. Her work in this role expanded the influence of the WCTU, promoting temperance as a vehicle for social reform and laying the groundwork for women’s suffrage.