Bertha palmer biography

Chicago socialite and philanthropist who was the main organizer of the Woman's Building at the Columbian Exposition of 1893. Name variations: Mrs. Potter Palmer; Bertha Honore Palmer.

Born Bertha Honoré in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 22, 1849; died of breast cancer in Chicago, Illinois, on May 5, 1918; daughter of Henry H. Honoré (a businessmanin hardware and cutlery) and Eliza J. (Carr) Honoré; graduated from the Convent of the Visitation in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., 1867; married Potter Palmer (an entrepreneur), on July 28, 1870; children: sons Honoré (b.

February 1, 1874) and Potter II (b. October 8, 1875).

As a leading figure in Chicago society, Bertha Honoré Palmer was at the center of social events and causes in that city throughout her life. She organized benefits, held receptions, and hosted dinners to fete scions of American business and government, European nobility, labor leaders, and welfare reformers; she was also a suppor