A woman's right to vote in America was a battle that concluded a little over 100 years ago. Author Elaine Weiss will talk about that and other voting rights issues in the President's Lecture Series at the University of Montana on April 2.

Weiss is the author of "The Women's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote," which will be the main topic of her 7 p.m. speech at the University Center Ballroom. Weiss has been featured on NPR's "All Things Considered" and "CBS Sunday Morning," along with opinion pieces in the New York Times. She has also written about the history of the women's involvement in World War I, "Fruits of Victor: The Woman's Land Army in the Great War."

The main part of her talk will detail the fight for women's suffrage to earn the right to vote, which started in the 1800s and was one of the top victories for civil rights in this country. She has also been a commentator, both in publications and broadcasts, regarding modern voting rights issues.

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The lecture is also part of the Lucille Speer Lectures, which honors the UM librarian who served from 1928 to 1968 and who was a delegate to the 1972 Montana Constitutional Convention. The anniversary of that convention, by the way, was celebrated at Montana State University this week with a free public panel, available online.

The Elaine Weiss presentation is the fourth presentation in the UM President's Lecture Series this school year and is sponsored in part by the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women. You can find out more at the President's Lecture Series at this UM website.

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