Charles Theatre to host special screening of movie about Carrie Chapman Catt

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

The Charles Theatre in Charles City will be the site of a special advance screening of the Iowa PBS documentary, “Carrie Chapman Catt: Warrior for Women.”

The screening will be on Sunday, March 1, starting at 1:30 p.m.

Hosted by PBS, the screening is presented in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, giving women in the U.S. the right to vote. The amendment was passed by Congress June 4, 1919, and ratified by the last of the required number of states on Aug.18, 1920.

The movie is one-hour documentary that tells the story of Iowan Carrie Chapman Catt and the women’s suffrage movement.

Catt, who grew up in Charles City and also spent many years here as an adult, was central to the fight for women’s suffrage in the U.S. and devoted most of her life to the expansion of women’s rights around the world.

Her political strategies and organizational skills have been called instrumental to the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

The Charles Theatre will be the first venue to host a screening of the PBS film. Screenings will also be held in Cedar Falls on March 3 and in Iowa City on March 26.

Light refreshments will be provided at the Charles City screening, and a discussion panel including the producer of the documentary will follow. Space is limited so those interested are urged to reserve their free tickets in advance.

At the age of 7, Catt’s family moved to rural Charles City, where she graduated from high school in 1877. In 1880, she graduated from the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm in Ames (now Iowa State University) at the top of her class. She was also the only woman in her graduating class.

After college, she returned to Charles City to work as a law clerk and, in nearby Mason City, as a school teacher and a principal. In 1883, she became one of the first women in the nation appointed superintendent of schools.

The Carrie Lane Chapman Catt Girlhood Home and Museum, located near Charles City, is a historic site that provides an opportunity for guests to visit the home where her personality was formed by her family and community.

The National 19th Amendment Society provides financial and volunteer support for maintenance of the home and museum, educational programs for all ages, and preserves the history of Catt’s life and body of work.

The screening is one of many events that the National 19th Amendment Society  has planned for this year in celebration of the centennial of the women’s right to vote.

On Sunday, April 26, there will be a live presentation of “The Yellow Rose of Suffrage” written by Iowa State University professor Jane Cox, who portrays Catt and tells her story. The free performance will be at Trinity United Methodist Church in Charles City.

Other events planned this year by the organization include a book signing in May by Linda Meloy, author of “Century of Impact,” a history of the Iowa League of Women Voters. Meloy will be signing her book at the museum.

Plans are being made made to attend “Suffragists” in June, which is an original musical about the movement, to be performed at UNI in Cedar Falls. On July 4, plans are to have 100 or more women and men — commemorating the 100th anniversary — walk in the annual Fourth of July Parade.

In August, an open house and celebration will be held at the Carrie Chapman Catt Girlhood Home Museum. Other activities are planned and will be announced in advance of their dates.

For additional information regarding any of these events, email visit@catt.org or call 641-228-3336 and leave a message.