Blackwell,
she associated herself with the Massachusetts Suffrage Association,
spoke at its next annual convention and was drawn into its work. After
hearing and meeting Miss Susan B. Anthony she felt a deeper
obligation of service to the cause for which Miss Anthony and her
associates had sacrificed so much and she thought that college women
especially should pay their debt to those who had made their education
possible by helping them fight the battle for woman suffrage. In 1900,
with the help of Mrs. Inez Haynes Gillmore, also a Radcliffe student,
Miss Wood, now Mrs. Park, founded the Massachusetts College Equal
Suffrage League and steps were at once taken to form leagues in other
States. In 1906 the National American Woman Suffrage Association held
its annual convention in Baltimore and under the auspices of Dr. M.
Carey Thomas, president of Bryn Mawr, there occurred that remarkable
"college women's evening," when before an audience that filled the
theater women professors from the largest Colleges for Women in the
United States paid their tributes to Miss Anthony and announced their
allegiance to her cause.

It was decided at this meeting that there ought to be a national
association of college women, the first steps toward it were taken,
and Mrs. Park was appointed to organize leagues in the States. In 1908
a Call was sent out signed by Dr. Thomas, President Mary E. Woolley of
Mt. Holyoke College: Miss Mary E. Garrett, a founder of the Johns
Hopkins Medical School; Mrs. Elsie Clews Parsons, Ph.D. of Barnard
College; Miss Caroline E. Lexow (Barnard), president of the New York
College Equal Suffrage League, and Miss Florence Garvin of the Rhode
Island League, to meet for organization. The time and place selected
were during the annual convention of the National American Woman
Suffrage Association in Buffalo, N. Y., October 15-21. By this time
College Leagues had been formed in fifteen States extending across the
country to California. On October 17, in the beautiful club house of
the Woman's Twentieth Century Club, with delegates present from most
of these States, the National College League was organized with the
following officers: President, Dr. Thomas; Professor Sophonisba
Breckinridge of Chicago University at the head of a list of five
vice-presidents; secretary, Miss Lexow; treasurer, Dr. Margaret Long
(Smith) of Denver; Mrs. Park was made chairman of the organization
committee. The purpose of the league was