Emily St. John Bouton


Emily St. John Bouton was an American educator, journalist, author and editor.
Bouton was educated for a teacher, and took the highest position awarded to any lady as teacher in high school at Toledo, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois, but resigned them to engage on journalistic work on the Toledo Blade, which position she held for many years. She also wrote works on health and beauty for women which were published, and one on etiquette, beside pamphlets, all of which won for her an enviable reputation as a writer of books as well as for the newspaper press. She served as editor of the "Household," the "Saturday Salad", and the "Home Talk" columns of the Toledo, Ohio Daily Blade. She was the author of Social Etiquette, Health and Beauty, and other works more or less directly relating to women.

Early years and education

Emily St. John Bouton was born in New Canaan, Connecticut, February 13, 1837. Her parents were Daniel Webb and Almina Bouton. On her father's side, she traced her ancestry to one of the partisans of William the Conqueror, who was knighted for saving the king when in danger. The family bore a prominent part in the American Revolution among the Connecticut patriots. Her father moved to the West when she was yet a child.
She was educated at Binghamton, New York, and graduated at sixteen in the Sandusky High School as valedictorian in 1857, but had previously taught a primary school in Sandusky, Ohio, when only fourteen years of age.

Career

After graduating, she became assistant high-school teacher in Milan, Ohio, then in Tiffin, Ohio, and then, for several years, she filled the same position in the Toledo High School. She occupied the chair of English literature in the Chicago central high school for two years, but relinquished her work on account of failing health, going to California for rest and recuperation.
In 1877, she returned to Toledo and became a member of the editorial staff of the Toledo Blade. To many American households, she was endeared as the "household editor" of the paper. She was also a literary critic, and an "all round" newspaper worker. She did much regular editorial writing in political campaigns in the columns of the paper with which she was connected. Her leaders on political topics were marked by direct and close reasoning, her diction was clear, and her logic was convincing. In her later years, she was not called on so frequently to do that kind of writing, leaving her time free for the, to her, more congenial fields of purely literary work and the management of her own department of the paper. Her special field was in work for women. She was a believer in equal rights for women, and her labors were directed to the advancement of woman's sphere through the personal advancement of every women. Her literary style was so clear and pleasing that it seemed to convey an idea of her personality to her readers. She wrote several successful books on topics pertaining to the home circle. Besides her work upon the Toledo Blade, she wrote stories, letters and essays for other papers and magazines. Bouton's family circle consisted of her mother, her widowed sister and two nephews.
Bouton worked in societies advocating religious freedom. She was one of the founders and supporters of the Industrial Home for Working Girls, Toledo. She lectured upon literary subjects and their influence upon great movements for humanity’s good. Bouton was a member of the Executive Board of Toledo Suffrage Society. She was the author of Health and Beauty, Social Etiquette, Life's Gateways, and The Life Joyful. She was a member of the Toledo Woman's Association, Ohio Newspaper Association, honorary member of the Educational Club of Toledom the Wauseon Woman's Club, Sorosis, and Emerson Class and Writer's Club of Toledo.
She died February 8, 1927.

Selected works

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