The Molly Brown House Museum
1340 Pennsylvania Street
Denver, Colorado 80203
303.832.4092
Fax: 303.832.2340

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Prior to their move to Denver, Margaret had been active in philanthropic activities in Leadville. As the wife of an upper-middle-class mine superintendent, Margaret was expected to help those less fortunate. As with most things in her life, however, Maggie went beyond expectations. She organized soup kitchens for miners' families and helped in more traditional occupations like volunteering at the hospital or church. She was often criticized for being friends with her servants, both in Leadville and in Denver. In fact, when tutors came to her home to teach her the finer points of literature, drama or a foreign language, her servants were often included in the lessons.

Once the move to Denver was complete in 1894, Margaret threw herself wholeheartedly into philanthropic activities. The Browns' wealth and position in society allowed her access to projects that weren't previously open to her. At first, she contented herself with more traditional charitable activities. As biographer Kristen Iversen writes, "A common observation was that if Margaret Brown had been a man, she surely would have had a wonderful career in business or mining. But she was a woman, married to a man who, she quickly discovered -- like most men of his generation -- had specific ideas about a woman's proper role. So she did what many women did -- spoke her mind when she could, and made compromises." By 1903, however, Margaret began caring less for traditional social convention and was treading ground where few women were allowed.

The Brown's never forgot their humbler beginnings and annually sent gifts and supplies to the miners' families in Leadville, a tradition that lasted until Margaret's death in 1932. J.J. also gave Christmas gifts to each boy at St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum for many years.

Margaret immediately became a charter member of the Denver Woman's Club (DWC) in 1894. The Club included women from a broad spectrum of backgrounds and had the lofty goal of improving women's daily lives and moral character primarily through continuing education and philanthropy. Given the vast number of women's clubs in Denver, the DWC was designed to provide a single voice for women's issues.

Margaret in 1898

In 1898, Margaret became an associate member of the Denver Woman's Press Club (DWPC). Although she had not yet published any works, Margaret would soon publish many travel essays, an account of her Titanic experience and an autobiography. (The autobiography has since been lost.) She and J.J. were both accepted into the Denver Country Club, had season tickets to the Broadway Theatre and regularly attended the opera.

All of these activities were merely precursors to her next steps. By becoming socially involved in a variety of activities, Margaret made invaluable connections that enabled her to become active in more philanthropic and social reform causes.

Content from Kristen Iversen's book, Molly Brown, Unraveling the Myth.  Published by Johnson Books in 1999.