These South Bend women left their mark on local history

This story originally published on April 6, 2015.

South Bend has had its share of famous women dating back throughout the city's history. Here are just a few.

Emma Barrett Molloy

Born in South Bend in 1839, Molloy was a teacher, temperance advocate, suffragette and author. Working on the South Bend National Union and the LaPorte Herald-Chronicle, she was the first female newspaper editor in northern Indiana. She died of pneumonia in Cedarville, Calif., in 1907.

Ella M. Morris

Local philanthropist and patron of the arts , Morris provided endless support to South Bend's cultural institutions. She was the founder and president of the South Bend Symphony Association. In 1959, she purchased the Palace Theatre, saving it from destruction. It was renamed in her honor and is now known as the Morris Performing Arts Center.

Virginia Tutt

A South Bend native, Tutt was the South Bend Public Library's second head librarian , a position she held from 1903-1927. Her accomplishments include increasing the library's holdings, opening the first library branch in 1918, and adding library departments devoted to such interests as children and local history.

Susan Catherine Oliver

The youngest child of South Bend industrialist J.D. and Anna Gertrude Wells Oliver, Catherine, as she was known, was born on March 6, 1896. She graduated from South Bend High School in 1914 and received a degree from Finch College in New York in 1916. Through her varied interests and active social life, Catherine, who never married, symbolized the 1920s independent woman.

Betsy "Sockum" Jochum

Born Feb. 8, 1921, Jochum is one of the original players to join the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1943. She played for the South Bend Blue Sox for six seasons and was known for her prowess in the outfield. In 1948, she won the league batting crown.

Frances Comparet Coquillard

Frances Comparet was born in Detroit on April 9, 1805. In 1824, she married Alexis Coquillard, a fur trader. Coquillard had established a trading post in the area that would become South Bend. Comparet, daughter of Coquillard's partner, joined him after their wedding and was the first woman of European descent to settle in this region.

Rebecca Powell

Powell, her husband, and their children were among the earliest Black families to live in South Bend. The Powells were instrumental in establishing the Olivet AME Church , which today is at 719 N. Notre Dame Ave.

Sister Suzanne Kelly

A native of Tulsa, OK, Sister Suzanne was the first woman hired as a full-time faculty member at the University of Notre Dame. She joined Notre Dame in 1965, teaching courses in philosophy and the history of science.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: These South Bend women left their mark on city's history