Susan Pringle Frost as prominent citizen and women's leader
Pollitzer describes Susan Pringle Frost, a prominent citizen of Charleston, South Carolina, and a leader in the local women's suffrage movement. According to Pollitzer, Frost was a woman who had a deep appreciation for history and as a result she helped to found the Preservation Society. In addition, Pollitzer remembers Frost as a gracious hostess and a profoundly religious woman. In 1913, when Alice Paul severed ties with the National American Woman Suffrage Association, it was Frost, according to Pollitzer, who organized Charleston suffragists around the new push for a national amendment for women's suffrage.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Mabel Pollitzer, June 16, 1974. Interview G-0047-2. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- CONSTANCE MYERS:
-
Miss Pollitzer, I would like for you, if you can remember, to tell a
little bit about the background of Susan Pringle Frost. The kind of
thing, perhaps, that wouldn't appear in brief newspaper accounts. Simply
tell about significant accomplishments and this sort of thing.
- MABEL POLLITZER:
-
To me Miss Susan Pringle Frost was one of the most remarkable women who
ever lived in Charleston. She came from a very aristocratic family. I
remember so well, Miss Sue and her two sisters, Miss Mary and also
or Rebecca Motto Frost. Miss Sue and Miss Mary
lived together. When I first met them they lived at 4 Logan Street, then
later they moved to the Miles Brewton home, and that, I understand, was
occupied by the revolutionary soldiers. And that home, to Miss Frost,
was as dear as any precious possession or more so. In the very early
years she studied stenography and became court stenographer. Her sister
Mary, to support herself, had a private school mostly of the elementary
grades. Miss Rebe moved north to be with the DuPonts in New Jersey. Miss
Frost, as I say, after studying for the business world, was court
stenographer. And as I recollect was told she was the first woman who
was brave enough, you might say, to enter what was called a man's field.
She remained court stenographer for years. Loving Charleston as she did,
she tried to preserve the heritage and the
architecture and other things of Charleston. And even though buildings
were most dilapidated and run down, she, with her far seeing mind, could
see the potentiality of workingto save them for
white residents.*
* Miss Sue did so much for the Colored (Negro) folks; they loved
her.
So much of the restoration of Tradd Street is due to Miss Frost.
She was one of the founders, and perhaps the founder - I cannot
be sure - of the Preservation Society. They met in what is now
one of the museum houses on Church Street, the Heyward-Washington
House.
- CONSTANCE MYERS:
-
As a person, what was she like, according to your recollection? Her
personality.
- MABEL POLLITZER:
-
She was outgoing. She spoke, I would say, quite frankly and freely
always. We were really very very friendly. I just loved her. I felt she
was a woman to be admired. Deeply religious. I remember on one occasion
I was at her house when she had a servant who brought a glass of water
to her. And the servant thoughtlessly put the glass of water on the
Bible. Miss Frost said to her, calling her by her name - I'll
say Charlotte - "Charlotte, you know you should never
desecrate a Bible by putting a glass of water on it." She was
very serious about that. That Bible was never to have anything that
would hurt or harm it in appearance in any way. Then I remember another
incident. It was a midday meal. I was a guest. I don't know whether it
was lunch or dinner. At her house, the Pringle house.
*1
*1 Known today as the Miles-Brewton House, a Charleston
showplace.
We were seated at the table. Everything was very simple, but
very, very nice. Miss Frost, at that time, had opened the house to
paying guests, as she called them. The money was always needed, all
through her life. We were seated at the table and the servant brought
her some mail. And as she scanned the envelopes she
saw bills. And she said, to her sister Mary, "Why must I always
have to look at bills when we're enjoying a nice little
repast?" Then she looked at one more and opened it. It wasn't a
bill. It was a check for $1,000 from a relative named
Frost - I don't remember his name. And with that she said
"Oh, Mary, a gift. I was too quick in saying what I
did." With that she fell down on her knees and offered a prayer
of thanks. It was a very beautiful, spiritual experience for me. Of
course I went through the house many times. It was all very lovely; with
antique And she came around to our house many times. Her sister Mary was
also generous and just darling. Once Mother admired a lovely scarf she
wore. And she said "Oh, Mrs. Pollitzer, I am so glad you like
it, that you expressed your pleasure in seeing it." And with
that she took it off and said "It is yours." Mama said
"Oh no. You aren't a Mexican or a Spaniard. If you admire a
thing there they always give it to you, but this is
Charleston." And she said "Even so, it's yours. I'm
glad you love it." They were just kind people. I just thought
they were lovely.
Now Miss Frost - oh, I cannot tell you exactly the year, but it
was around the 1913s. It may have been before. But it was in 1913 when
Alice Paul severed her connection with the National American Woman
Suffrage Association. I do not know how this information came to Miss
Sue, but she was an ardent suffragist and she felt surely that the Susan
B. Anthony amendment should be passed and that it should be federal and
not according to the ideas of state by state as was thought by Carrie
Chapman Catt. She called a meeting at No. 4 Logan Street.