Edwards, India, 1895-1990

Title:

Edwards, India, 1895-1990

Description:

Bio: India H. Thomas Gillespie was born on June 16, 1895 in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of John A. and India H. Thomas Gillespie. From 1918 to 1936 Edwards was the Society Editor for the Chicago Tribune. On March 6, 1920 she married John F. Moffett, and later had two children, John Holbrook Moffett and India Moffett Williams. She divorced Moffett in 1937. From 1936 to 1942 she was the Woman's page editor for the Tribune. On June 16, 1942, she married Herbert Threlkeld Edwards and moved to Washington, D.C. In 1943 Edward's son, John Holbrook Moffett, was killed in World War II. In 1944 Edwards was a Volunteer for the Women's Division of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). From 1945 to 1947 she was the Executive Secretary of the Women's Division of the DNC, then from 1947 to 1948 was the Associate Director of the Women's Division. From 1948 to 1950 she served as the Executive Director of the Women's Division. In 1948 Edwards accompanied President Harry S. Truman on his whistle-stop campaign. From 1950 to 1956 she was the Vice-chairman of the DNC, and in 1951 was a delegate to the World Health Organization. In 1952 Edwards placed in nomination for Vice President of the United States at the Democratic National Convention. In 1956 she resigned as Vice-chairman of the DNC to become the campaign director in Averell Harriman's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. From 1957 to 1959 she was the Director of the Washington office of the New York State Department of Commerce. During the 1960s, Edwards served as President of the Girls Club of America, Inc. From 1964 to 1966 she was a consultant to the Department of Labor. In 1977 Edwards published her memoirs entitled, Pulling No Punches: Memoirs of a Woman in Politics. On June 24, 1977, Edward's husband, Herbert T. Edwards, died. Her daughter, India Moffett Williams died in 1979. India Edwards died in Sebastopol, California on January 17, 1990, at the age of 94.

Source:

L-R: Mrs. J. Borden Harriman, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, Mrs. Emma Guffey Miller, India Edwards. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson host Democratic National Committeewomen, The Elms, Washington DC, 01/19/1963. Photo # 63-1-78. Pre-Presidential Photo Collection, LBJ Presidential Library. No source information available: copyright restrictions may apply.

Relation:

LBJ Connection: Director, Women’s Division, Democratic National Committee