Marie Equi

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Marie Equi

Marie Diana Equi (born 7 April 1872 in New Bedford, Massachusetts; died 13 July 1952 in Portland, Oregon) was a medical doctor and anarchist. Born to Italian and Irish parents, she spent much of her early life in Italy with her paternal grandfather.

In 1893 ,she moved to The Dalles, Oregon with her friend Bess Holcomb, who had been offered work as a teacher. The two lived together quietly in what has been called a "Boston marriage". On 21 July 1893, Equi was the subject of an article in "The Dalles Times-Mountaineer", the local newspaper. According to the article, which referred to Equi as "Miss Aqua", Holcomb's employer, Reverend Orson D. Taylor, refused to pay Holcomb a promised $100, and in response Equi threatened to publicly flagellate him with a horsewhip. Although Equi was able to carry out her threat, Holcomb ultimately did not receive the $100. However, the community were very supportive of Equi's actions. The whip became the subject of a raffle, and the proceeds, exceeding $100, were granted to the two women.

A few years later, the pair moved to San Francisco, California, before Equi departed for Portland to study medicine at the University of Oregon. In 1903, Equi graduated from medical school, and in the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, she organized a group of doctors and nurses to provide humanitarian aid in the wake of the disaster, earning her a special commendation from the United States Army. Soon after, she met Harriet Speckart, who worked as her assistant. The two began a twenty year relationship, sharing residence in various locations in Portland. Speckart, the niece of Olympia Brewing Company founder Leo Schmidt, did not abandon the relationship despite various attempts by her family, including the threat to revoke her inheritance.

Equi was one of the very few doctors in Portland who was prepared to perform abortions, and did so without regard for social class or status. In 1913, she was involved in picketing the Oregon Packing Company, during a strike action in support of the Industrial Workers of the World. While attending to an injured worker, she was attacked by the police, whose brutality in attempting to end the strike led Equi to denounce capitalism and become an anarchist, and to join the IWW.

In 1915, she and Speckart raised a child, Mary, who later came to prominence herself, when at age 16 she became the youngest woman in the Pacific Northwest to fly an airplane solo. Mary referred to Speckart as her "ma" and Equi as her "da". In 1916, Equi joined the American Union Against Militarism. During an anti-war protest in downtown Portland, she unfurled a banner reading "PREPARE TO DIE, WORKINGMEN, J.P. MORGAN & CO. WANT PREPAREDNESS FOR PROFIT", which set off a minor riot and led to her arrest. On 31 December 1918 she was convicted of sedition under the newly-revised Espionage Act for her opposition to World War I. Her lawyers were unsuccessful in their attempts to overturn her conviction, and her daughter later recalled how she and her mother were spat upon in the streets during this period. In October 1920 she began her 3-year sentence at San Quentin State Prison, which was later reduced to a year and a half. In prison, she wrote letters to friends, which clearly indicated uncertainty with her chosen lifestyle. Although Equi's friends supported her they were unable to secure her pardon.

Speckart and Mary Equi lived together in Seaside, Oregon, until Speckart's death on 15 May 1927, after which Mary came to live with her "da" in Portland. On 13 July 1952, Equi died in Portland.