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Title
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Ramsey, Alice Huyler (1886 -1983)
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birthday
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1886-11-11
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Birthplace
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Hackensack, NJ
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Death Date
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1983-09-10
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Occupation
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Motorist
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Biographical Text
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Alice Huyler Ramsey was a professional motorist and the first woman to drive an automobile cross country in the US. She was born Alice Taylor Huyler, and was daughter to a lumber dealer who encouraged her interests in machinery. She attended Vassar College from 1903 to 1905, but left before receiving her degree. In the summer of 1909, Ramsey's 59-day cross-country journey from New York City to San Francisco took place. The trip was sponsored by Maxwell-Briscoe, originally framed as a publicity stunt that in turn served as a marketing tool for the brand, encouraging more women to drive. In 1960 Ramsey was named the "Woman Motorist of the Century" by AAA. In 1961 she published a book documenting her cross-country drive, which she relived over 30 times from 1909 to 1975.
Ramsey married congressman John R. Ramsey on January 10, 1906. Together they had two children John Rathbone Ramsey, Jr. and Alice Valleau Ramsey. Ramsey passed on September 10, 1983 and is buried at the Hackensack Cemetery and Mausoleum in Hackensack, NJ.
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Contributor
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O'Neill, Iris
Alice Huyler Ramsey, Grave