The Sunday Olympian’s Looking Back theme for 2024 was Many Voices, celebrating our diverse and rich history. Abbie Howard Hunt Stuart, pictured here, co-founded the Woman’s Club of Olympia, the first on the Pacific Coast. She bucked traditional female expectations by pursuing an independent career, wearing her hair short and, in common with other members of the Club, identifying herself by her first name instead of her husband’s.
Ida B. Smith photo, undated, courtesy State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society, catalog C2010.0.1
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2024