Mary Madden Lilly was a Progressive eraactivist who had a prominent role in New York City's social reform movements during the last decades of the 19th Century and early decades of the 20th Century. In particular, Lilly supported prison reform in the form of separate facilities for females who were first time offenders. Lilly was an advocate for women's suffrage and other legislation to better the lives of women and children. After women gained the right to vote in New York in 1917, Lilly ran for elected office in the November 1918 election, and was one of two females elected to serve in the 1919 session of the New York State Assembly.
Family and early life
Mary married John F. Lilly. Mary and John Lilly were the parents of J. Joseph Lilly, an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of NY. Lilly graduated from Hunter College teachers' school in 1876 and took a job teaching in the New York City public school system. While still teaching school, she attended New York University School of Law on a full scholarship, reported to be the first grant earned by a woman by taking a competitive exam. In 1895, Lilly was one of ten women in a class of seventy law students to receive her Bachelor of Laws degree.
Early career
Public school teacher
Lilly graduated from Hunter College teachers school in 1876 when still a teen, and took a job teaching at P.S. 37 in Manhattan. In total, Lilly worked as a public school teacher for thirty-six years until she retired. Lilly joined The Association of Retired Teachers of the City of New York and held the position of secretary.
Suffragist
Attended the Seneca Fall Conference sponsored by the Women's Party to commemorate the Women's Rights Convention of 1848.
Community civic groups
Lilly belonged to and founded civic groups that advocated for social and political reforms. She was a member of The Society for the Aid to Mental Defectives and was the editor of its Journal. She was a Founder of The Kickerbocker Civic League and served as its president. Additionally, Lilly was member of the political organization, The Women's Democratic Club.
Lilly was the recording secretary and the Chairwomen of the Probation Committee of the City Federation of Women's Clubs. Through her affiliation with the Federation, in 1913 she worked to establish the Kingsboro House, a detention home for young women first offenders in Brooklyn.
Later careers
Law practice
Lilly was editor of the Women Lawyers' Journal from 1915 to 1916. For a brief time Lilly had a joint law practice with Eve P. Radtke who was admitted to bar in 1906.
Lily sponsored a number of bills regarding children. She introduced legislation to establish paternity of children born out of wedlock, to protect the rights for children, and worked to abolish the death penalty. Late in Lilly's re-election campaign for her seat in the New York State Assembly, The Citizens Union charged that Lilly as an assemblywomen and superintendent of the women prisoners on Blackwell's Island drew two salaries contrary to state law. Lilly answered the charge by asserting that she was assured by her counsel that she had the right to accept a job with the City of New York while employed in a public office with the state.
Superintendent of inmates
In 1919 Lilly was appointed as the superintendent of female inmates at the Workhouse on Blackwell's Island. By the time that Lilly retired in 1928, she had worked under three Commissioners: James A. Hamilton, Frederick A. Wallis and Richard C. Patterson.
