The Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum's operating hours for March 2020 will be Friday, Saturday & Sunday, 1–5PM.

Honoring Madeleine Edison Sloane for

Women’s History Month

Madeleine Edison Sloane was T.A. Edison’s daughter with his second wife Mina Miller Edison. She was affectionately called “Toots” by her relatives. She attended Oak Park Place School in Akron, OH and Bryn Mawr College in PA. She married John Eyre Sloane in 1914. She and John had four sons, Edison’s only grandchildren.

Madeleine was a sharp woman. As a lifelong Republican, she briefly ran for Congress in 1938. But it was during WW II that she became a brilliant leader of the Red Cross unit in Bloomfield and the Oranges in NJ. One of her observations in her work early in the war was that when someone disappeared for a few days and then showed up and started working exceptionally hard, looking somber, it was not a good idea to greet them with a big show of cheery enthusiasm. Most likely, someone they loved had just died in the war and the grief was very raw.

With entirely volunteer labor, her Red Cross unit packaged 3 ½ million sterile

surgical dressings in the four years she ran the unit. They collected 8146 pints of

blood and any number of more or less incredible achievements – mostly in the face of male/governmental obstruction. When a whole forest of newly created

government committees and boards stalled things, she simply gave orders and made them happen anyway. She was that tough. She was the World War II Edison version of Rosie the Riveter. By the end of the War, she was managing 1000+ volunteers and a motor pool of 28 vehicles. They had trained several thousand adult and junior members in first aid and more.

After the War’s end, with her characteristic intelligence and determination, she and her mother Mina began the work of bringing the story of her father’s life and work to the public and in 1947, they opened Edison’s birth home as a museum. She then became the museum’s first director, administrating and shaping the home into a historic replica of what it was when her father lived there as a boy. In 1965, the museum was dedicated as a National Historic Landmark. Madeleine spoke at the ceremony with her characteristic wisdom….” this museum should be more than just a memorial…We especially want children to get the inspiration that a true picture of him should provide – a better sense of values and to assure them that such qualities as fortitude, industry and independence of thought are still worthwhile and should not vanish from the earth.” Madeleine Edison Sloane 1888-1979.

Written with input from David Sloane, Madeleine’s grandson.

Thank you to everyone for the great turnout celebration event we had on February 11th for Thomas Edison's birthday, the Edison Statue dedication, and congratulating Robert Wheeler on his "2020 Citizen of the Year Award".

We couldn't be more grateful for the tremendous support from our friends, international visitors, families and our community.

Find out if you were correct in next month's newsletter!

Last Month's Question:

In what year did Thomas Edison marry his first wife, Mary Stillwell?

Last Month's Answer:

1871

Happy St. Patricks Day, from Percy the Peacock!