Eliza R. Sunderland

Eliza R. Sunderland (née, Read; April 19, 1839 – March 3, 1910) was an American writer, educator, lecturer, and women's rights advocate of the long nineteenth century. She was a prolific writer for literary and religious papers and magazines. She was also prominent in her religious denomination, no woman in the country being called upon more often than Sunderland for addresses at local, state, and national Unitarian gatherings. She was one of the organizers and the first president of the Western Women's Conference. At the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago, in 1893, she represented the Unitarian women of the U.S. and gave one of the most notable addresses of the parliament. She was especially well-fitted to serve as a member of the board of school visitors in Hartford, Connecticut on account of her lifelong interest in school matters, her experience as a teacher, and her intellectual training.