36 Facts About Julia Colman

Julia Colman was an American temperance educator, activist, editor and writer of the long nineteenth century.

Julia Colman served as superintendent of literature in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.

Julia Colman contributed to the Society's educational and missionary sides by writing for its periodicals and for tract, pamphlet and book literature.

Julia Colman thoroughly believed in education as the great means of reaching success.

Julia Colman prepared over 450 leaflets and tracts that were issued by the National Temperance Society.

Julia Colman devoted the larger portion of her time to this work of pushing and circulating educational literature.

Julia Colman was a contributing editor to The Union Signal.

Julia Colman was born in Northampton, Fulton County, New York, in the valley of the Great Sacandaga Lake, February 16,1828.

Julia Colman's father, Rev Henry R Colman, was a clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

In 1849, when Lawrence University, in Appleton, opened its doors for students, Julia Colman was in the first classes.

Julia Colman remained there for nearly two years, and then spent two years at Cazenovia Seminary, New York, under Rev Dr Bannister, graduating in 1853, with the first class in the collegiate or five years' course.

Julia Colman's specialties were the languages and moral science, with unusual aptitude in physiology and chemistry.

Julia Colman provided them with a manual and other requisites, and over 100 such leagues were formed in different parts of the country.

Julia Colman was led in this way into an acquaintance with the medical and scientific aspects of the temperance question.

Julia Colman took partial courses in different medical colleges, that she might learn their teachings about alcohol and obtain a sound physiological basis for further studies.

Julia Colman spoke before local temperance societies, teachers' institutes and Methodist conferences, delivering upward of 100 lectures previous to the crusade.

Those educational methods commended themselves to the National WCTU, and Julia Colman was elected editor of one page of the national organ for one year, to push that elementary work, which soon became the prevailing model throughout the woman's work and in other temperance organizations.

Julia Colman saw and deplored intemperance, but, like those around her, she could see no effective method of checking it.

Julia Colman immediately began to study and write on the question, and, not finding sufficient access to the public through press sourced available to her, she prepared a lecture on "Alcohol our Enemy," which, after a good deal waiting, she was permitted to deliver.

Julia Colman then gave two courses of lectures on "Food" in the Dixon Institute, Brooklyn, New York, wrote a long series of articles on that subject for The Ladies' Repository, and still more for the Rural New Yorker, for Home and Health, Science of Health, Good Health, and other periodicals, besides temperance articles for the National Temperance Society, and for the Youth's Temperance Visitor in Maine.

Julia Colman prepared a series of sketches of the State WCTU presidents, published in Demorest's Magazine.

Julia Colman finally concluded that she could reach a greater number by the pen, if exclusively devoted to this subject, and thus more effectively promote a cause in which her interest was becoming more and more engrossed.

Julia Colman wished to take a course of lectures in medicine, which she preferred to do at different colleges, that she might learn the various ideas about the uses of alcohol in medicine.

Julia Colman gave especial attention during this period of study to the chemical course.

Julia Colman paid much attention to the chemistry and preparation of food, making investigations in several health institutions, and subsequently published no less than 75 consecutive articles on this subject in the Monthly Science of Health and Phrenological Journal.

Julia Colman edited during that time The Young People's Comrade and The Temperance Teacher.

Accounts of this school in the papers and elsewhere attracted attention, and at the National Convention of the WCTU, in Newark, New Jersey, in 1876, Julia Colman was elected to edit one page of Our Union for the children, preparing lessons explanatory of the catechism.

Julia Colman was made Chairman of a "Leaflet Committee", which was the starting point of the extended literature work, of which she served as Superintendent.

Julia Colman aimed not so much to produce new publications as to utilize the best of what was published.

Julia Colman commenced a series of "Leaflets for Young People," suited for distribution with others in schools and colleges.

Julia Colman's directions were so simple and clear that the work of tract distribution was effective.

Julia Colman adapted a variety of tracts, leaflets, and hymn cards, making a complete system of requisites.

Julia Colman issued many chromo cards with temperance mottoes for birthday, holidays, Easter, Valentine's Day, and everyday use.

Julia Colman suggested and planned the dime collection system to supply the wants of her department.

Julia Colman died Sunday, January 10,1909, at her home in Brooklyn, New York, and was buried in a family plot in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.

Julia Colman's death was caused by gas asphyxiation, a "supposed accident" according to a coroner's medical doctor.