One hundred years ago, a letter changed one man’s mind and millions of women’s lives forever.
The letter was sent from Febb Burn to her son Harry T. Burn, a 24-year-old Tennessee representative, in the midst of a career-defining decision — vote “aye” or “nay” on the ratification of the 19th Amendment.
We know how the vote played out, but the untold story about the Burn family remains a small-town tale.
Three Burn family sisters — CEO Cathy Allen, Vice President Sandra Boyd and co-owner Pat Cotton — now own and operate the family business, Crescent Sock Company, in Niota, Tennessee. It’s the longest-running hosiery mill in the United States, according to the family.