Rosalie Edge Biography

Rosalie Edge was an American women’s rights activist and environmentalist who founded the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Pennsylvania. A progressive New York socialite and dedicated suffragist, Rosalie Edge was the first American woman to achieve national acclaim as a conservationist. Born to wealthy parents in New York City, she had a privileged childhood and received a private school education. She married a wealthy British engineer, and often accompanied her husband on his work related trans-Atlantic trips, splitting her time between New York and Europe. Her life took a turn when she met Lady Rhondda, a women’s suffrage activist, during one of her voyages. Deeply moved by the interaction, Rosalie became involved in the women's suffrage movement and later upon returning to the United States, she profoundly helped in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. Then, Rosalie turned her attention towards wildlife activism and soon found a passion for birds. She devoted herself to conservationand subsequently formed the Emergency Conservation Committee which published many pamphlets over the years to prohibit hunting. When the committee saw pictures of dying birds in the Kittatinny Mountains, she brought the concerned site and founded the ‘Hawk Mountain Sanctuary’, serving as its president until her death. Rosalie was one of the most devoted environmentalists of the 20th century and her sanctuary is still operational for conservation as well as educational and research programs.