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[[File:Portrait album of who’s who at the International Congress of Women – Mrs Maria Purdy Peck.jpg|thumb|Peck in 1899]]
”’Maria Purdy Peck”’ ({{nee}} ”’Purdy”’; 1840-1914) was American civic leader. Peck was identified with nearly all the educational, philanthropic, and club work of her state, [[Iowa]]. She is remembered for her years of working for the public good.<ref name=”Reeves1914″>{{cite book |last1=Reeves |first1=Winona Evans |title=The Blue Book of Iowa Women: A History of Contemporary Women |date=1914 |publisher=Press of the Missouri Printing and Publishing Company |pages=105-06 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vDN6AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA105 |access-date=23 September 2025 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref>
”’Maria Purdy Peck”’ ({{nee}} ”’Purdy”’; 1840-1914) was American civic leader. Peck was identified with nearly all the educational, philanthropic, and club work of her state, [[Iowa]]. She is remembered for her years of working for the public good.<ref name=”Reeves1914″>{{cite book |last1=Reeves |first1=Winona Evans |title=The Blue Book of Iowa Women: A History of Contemporary Women |date=1914 |publisher=Press of the Missouri Printing and Publishing Company |pages=105-06 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vDN6AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA105 |access-date=23 September 2025 |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref>
Maria Purdy Peck (née Purdy; 1840-1914) was American civic leader. Peck was identified with nearly all the educational, philanthropic, and club work of her state, Iowa. She is remembered for her years of working for the public good.[1]
Maria Purdy was born November 16, 1840, in West Butler, New York.[1]
She was educated in a New York seminary.[1]
On September 18, 1865, she married Dr. Washington Freeman Peck, a physician of Iowa. He was involved in the establishment of the Medical Department of the Iowa State University. He was the chief founder of Mercy Hospital in Davenport. He died December 12, 1891. One daughter was born to the couple, Mrs. Jessie Allen Vollmer.[1]
Peck was characterized as of the ablest and most prominent women in Iowa of her era. She was vice-president at large of the International Council of Women and was a prominent member of the International Congress of Women held in London in 1899. She read a paper before this council, which was the largest organized body of women in the world. At this conference, she was invited to a seat on the platform by Lady Henry Somerset, and she had the honor of being the guest of Queen Victoria at a garden party.[1]
Peck was a devoted member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). She was regent of Hannah Caldwell chapter for fifteen years. She was State regent of the Iowa DAR, and was honored at the State and Continental Congresses.[1]
She was a member of the Iowa State Historical Society, of the Mayflower society, of the Daughters of 1812 and of Founders and Patriots. In 1874, she organized the Clionian Club, one of the oldest Iowa clubs and was its president for years. She was president of the Biennial Board of the Iowa Federation of Women’s Clubs and served on many state committees, having been especially active on the child labor committee. She was one of the founders of St. Luke’s hospital and was the first president of its Board of Managers. She helped establish St. Luke’s training school for nurses. She was one of the founders of the Davenport Public Library. She gave liberal support in money and influence to the maintenance of the Mission Kindergarten. She organized the Woman’s Club of Davenport and was the first president.[1]
She was a writer of ability and contributed to magazines and periodicals. She was a pleasant speaker and was often heard in conventions and conferences and on other public occasions.[1]
She was one of the few American women who had the distinction of having her portrait and name appear in The Roll of Honor for Women (London), an annual biographical record of women of the world who had worked for the public good.[1]
She died at her home in Davenport, Iowa, January 2, 1914.[1]
