ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A float celebrating women’s suffrage, and made with the support of the Susan B. Anthony House in Rochester, won best theme float in the Rose Bowl Parade in California on Wednesday, New Year’s Day.
Volunteers from Rochester and throughout the country traveled to California to see Lady Liberty stand tall in the “Years of Hope, Years of Courage” float — celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the 19th amendment that gave women the right to vote.
“Now we can point all the folks who want to celebrate those great anniversaries like the suffrage centennial, to the finger lakes, to come to Rochester, to Seneca Falls, to Auburn and to experience history where it really happened,” Susan B. Anthony Museum President Deborah Hughes said.
“That’s what we really wanted to do by participating in this — to kick that off and to say if you want to really experience history, then come see us.”
The float was spearheaded by Nan Johnson — a former University of Rochester professor and founding director of the Susan B. Anthony Center at the university. Johnson now lives in California. She helped launch a non-profit called Pasadena Celebrates 2020, dedicated to honoring the suffrage centennial. Among the local supporters of the effort are the Susan B. Anthony House and the National Women’s Hall of Fame.