{{Short description|American physician (1852–1937)}} {{Use American English|date=March 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox writer | name = Emma E. Bower | embed = | honorific_prefix = | honorific_suffix = | image = Emma Eliza Bowers.png | image_size = | image_upright = | alt = 19th-century B&W portrait photo of a woman with her hair in an up-do, wearing a dark, fitted blouse. | caption = Photo in ''Michigan Woman's Press Association'', 1893 | native_name = | native_name_lang = | pseudonym = | birth_name = | birth_date = 1852 | birth_place = Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. | death_date = October 11, 1937 | death_place = Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. | resting_place = | occupation = Physician, clubwoman, and newspaper owner, publisher, and editor | language = English | residence = | education = | alma_mater = University of Michigan Medical School | period = | genre = | subject = | movement = | notableworks = Ann Arbor ''Democrat'', ''The Lady Maccabee'' | spouse = | partner = | children = | relatives = | awards = | signature = | signature_alt = | years_active = | module = | website = <!-- {{URL|example.org}} --> | portaldisp = <!-- "on", "yes", "true", etc; or omit --> }}
'''Emma E. Bower''' (1852 – October 11, 1937) was an American physician, and a newspaper owner, publisher, and editor. She was also an active clubwoman. Bower practiced medicine in Detroit, Michigan before returning to Ann Arbor, Michigan where, from 1896 to 1904, she owned, published, and edited a county paper, the Ann Arbor ''Democrat''. For nine years, she was a member of the Ann Arbor board of education, during such time holding the office of president and treasurer. She served as treasurer of the Michigan Woman's Press Association, secretary-treasurer of the Michigan State Fraternal Congress, and held the office of president of the National Fraternal Press Association. She was the Great Record Keeper of the Ladies of the Maccabees (LOTM).{{sfn|Singer|Leon|1910|p=89}}
==Early years and education== Emma Eliza Bower was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1852.{{sfn|Literary Century|1893|p=411}}{{efn|According to Harley & MacDowell (1995), Bower was born in 1849.{{sfn|Harley|MacDowell|1995|p=14}} }} Her father, Henry Bower, was a dry-goods merchant of Ann Arbor for many years and in later life was a publisher in the newspaper field. Her mother, the former Margaret Gertrude Chase,{{sfn|Leonard|1914|p=118}} was a native of New York. In the family were six children: Henry E. H., Emma E., Margaret V., Charles, Dwight, and Burroughs Frank.{{sfn|Beakes|1906|p=248}}
Bower attended public-school in Ann Arbor, and after completing her more specifically literary education entered the University of Michigan Medical School, from which she was graduated in 1883.{{sfn|Beakes|1906|p=248}}{{sfn|Literary Century|1893|p=411}}
==Career== Believing that the city offered the largest field for usefulness, Bower took up her residence in Detroit, Michigan, where she enjoyed a successful practice as assistant physician for two years. At the end of that time, a serious illness in her father's family caused her to give up her practice and return home to assist her family.{{sfn|Literary Century|1893|p=410}}
The Ann Arbor ''Democrat'' was founded in September, 1878, by her brother, B. Frank Bower and Col. John L. Burleigh, young Bower being its editor, but four years later he accepted a daily newspaper position in Detroit, and his brother, Henry E. H. Bower, became editor-in-chief of the ''Democrat'', and was assisted in his editorial work by his sister, Emma.{{sfn|Literary Century|1893|p=410}} His failing health threw more and more of the work upon her, and upon his death, April 30, 1888, she took full possession and had absolute control of the paper thereafter. She did all the work of an editor-in-chief, collected and wrote up all the news, solicited advertisements, personally attended to all the departments of the paper and never failed to send out a number every Friday in the year.{{sfn|Literary Century|1893|p=411}}{{sfn|Leonard|1914|p=118}}
Bower served as the lady commander of Arbor Hive No. 113, LOTM.{{sfn|Literary Century|1893|p=411}} In 1893, she was elected to the office of Great Record Keeper of the LOTM., an organization with a membership of 86,000, with headquarters in Ann Arbor. In this position, she had 30 assistants,{{sfn|Beakes|1906|p=249}} and with them, published a club newspaper, ''The Lady Maccabee''.{{sfn|Nenadic|Nesbit|2016|p=87}} Established in 1890, Bower served as editor of ''The Lady Maccabee'', was published by The Inland Press, and had a circulation average during 1896 of more than 31,000, and in 1897, of more than 35,000.{{sfn|George P. Rowell & Company|1899|p=459}} She was also involved with the Secretaries' Association, an auxiliary of the National Fraternal Congress, which was composed of over fifty of the leading fraternal beneficiary societies{{sfn|Singer|Leon|1910|p=89}}
In September, 1894, Bower was elected a member of the Ann Arbor school board and served as president, secretary and treasurer.{{sfn|Beakes|1906|p=249}}{{sfn|Leonard|1914|p=118}}
==Affiliations== thumb|Emma E. Bower Bower was a member of the Michigan Woman's Press Association and served on its executive committee; secretary and treasurer of the Michigan Fraternal Congress; president of the National Fraternal Press Association;{{sfn|Beakes|1906|p=249}} vice president, "The Homeopathic Alumni of the University of Michigan;{{sfn|The St. Louis Periscope and Clinical Review|1884|p=277}} and vice president of the International Council of Women. She co-founded the Political Equality Club of Ann Arbor.{{sfn|Nenadic|Nesbit|2016|p=87}}{{sfn|Leonard|1914|p=118}}
She was the superintendent of Legislation and Petition of the Michigan State Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Second District; {{sfn|Michigan State Woman's Christian Temperance Union|1883|p=66}} and senior vice-president of the Woman's Relief Corps No. 218.{{sfn|Literary Century|1893|p=411}} She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star; the Rebekahs; and citizens' reception committee to entertain the State Legislature in March, 1893.{{sfn|Literary Century|1893|p=411}}
==Personal life== Bower favored suffrage. She made her home in Port Huron, Michigan.{{sfn|Leonard|1914|p=118}} Religiously, she was a life-long member of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church.{{sfn|Beakes|1906|p=249}}{{sfn|Leonard|1914|p=118}} Bower died at Ann Arbor on October 11, 1937.{{sfn|University of Michigan|1939|p=65}}
==Notes== {{Notelist}}
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
===Attribution=== * {{Source-attribution| {{cite book|last=Beakes|first=Samuel Willard|title=Past and Present of Washtenaw County, Michigan|url=https://archive.org/details/pastandpresentw00beakgoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/pastandpresentw00beakgoog/page/n254 248]|edition=Public domain|year=1906|publisher=S.J. Clarke Publishing Company |chapter=MISS EMMA E. BOWER}} }} * {{Source-attribution| {{cite book|author=George P. Rowell & Company|title=Rowell's American Newspaper Directory: Containing a Description of All the Newspapers and Periodicals Pub. in the United States and Territories, Dominion of Canada and Newfoundland, and of the Towns and Cities in which They are Pub., Together with a Statement Or Estimate of the Average Number of Copies Printed by Each Publication Catalogued|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=enA-AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA459|edition=Public domain|year=1899|publisher=George P. Rowell & Company |chapter=LADY MACCABEE}} }} * {{Source-attribution| {{cite book|last=Leonard|first=John W.|title=Woman's Who's who of America: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Women of the United States and Canada, 1914-1915|url=https://archive.org/details/womanswhoswhoam00leongoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/womanswhoswhoam00leongoog/page/n109 118]|edition=Public domain|year=1914|publisher=American commonwealth Company |chapter=BOWER, DR. EMMA E.}} }} * {{Source-attribution| {{cite book|author=Literary Century|title=Michigan Woman's Press Association|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hPHhAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA410|edition=Public domain|year=1893|publisher=Literary Century |chapter=MISS EMMA E. BOWER.}} }} * {{Source-attribution| {{cite book|author=Michigan State Woman's Christian Temperance Union|title=Annual Report of the Michigan State Woman's Christian Temperance Union|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LzS9TELTtAoC&pg=RA3-PA66|edition=Public domain|year=1883|publisher=The Union}} }} * {{Source-attribution| {{cite book|last1=Singer|first1=Isidore|last2=Leon|first2=Edwin Warren De|title=The International Insurance Encyclopedia|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vWnPAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA89|year=1910|publisher=American encyclopedic library association |chapter=BOWER, EMMA E.}} }} * {{Source-attribution| {{cite journal|author=The St. Louis Periscope and Clinical Review|journal=St. Louis Clinical Review|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZthDkow6fLUC&pg=PA277|edition=Public domain|volume=VII|issue=7|year=1884|publisher=The St. Louis Periscope and Clinical Review |title=THE HOMEOPATHIC ALUMNI}} }}
===Bibliography=== * {{cite book|last1=Harley|first1=Rachel B.|last2=MacDowell|first2=Betty|title=Michigan Women: Firsts and Founder|url=https://archive.org/details/michiganwomenfir0000harl|url-access=registration|year=1995|publisher=Michigan Women's Studies Association|isbn=978-0-9619390-2-1 |chapter=BOWER, EMMA ELIZA}} * {{cite book|last1=Nenadic|first1=Susan L.|last2=Nesbit|first2=M. Joanne|title=Legendary Locals of Ann Arbor|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vdZFDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT87|date=17 October 2016|publisher=Arcadia Publishing Incorporated|isbn=978-1-4396-5818-5 |chapter=A WOMAN OF MANY TALENTS}} * {{cite book|author=University of Michigan|title=University of Michigan Official Publication|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F3CfAAAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA65|volume=40|year=1939|publisher=University of Michigan Libraries|id=UOM:39015078932970}}
{{Portal|Biography}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bower, Emma E.}} Category:1852 births Category:1937 deaths Category:19th-century American newspaper editors Category:19th-century American newspaper publishers (people) Category:19th-century American women writers Category:People from Ann Arbor, Michigan Category:University of Michigan Medical School alumni Category:Woman's Christian Temperance Union people Category:Medical doctors from Michigan Category:American women non-fiction writers Category:American women newspaper editors Category:Woman's Relief Corps people Category:Clubwomen Category:Ladies of the Maccabees