Molly Brown, also known as Margaret Tobin, was an American socialite, activist, and actress. She gained fame for surviving the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, but her dedication to social work and women’s rights began long before the tragic event. Born into a working-class family, Brown understood the struggles faced by the poor and middle-class, particularly women. She started volunteering in soup kitchens and joined women’s organizations to improve education and advocate for women’s rights. Despite unsuccessful attempts at entering politics, Brown’s survival on the Titanic propelled her to overnight fame. She used her newfound platform to champion causes such as women and children’s rights, education, and historic preservation. In her later years, she even pursued a career as an actress. Today, Molly Brown is remembered as “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.”
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Margaret Tobin, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Molly Brown
- Died At Age: 65
- Socialites
- American Women
- Died on: October 26, 1932
- Place of Death: Barbizon Hotel, New York, United States
- Ancestry: Irish American
- Cause of Death: Cancer
- U.S. State: Missouri
Childhood & Early Life
Molly was born to Irish Catholic immigrants John Tobin and Johanna Collins in Missouri. She had three siblings and two half-sisters from her parents’ previous marriages. Her parents had migrated following the first wave of industrialization in America. They supported values like freedom and equality, and had progressive views towards education. Although Molly attended school only till she was 13, her parents had laid the foundation for lifelong learning.
Later Life
At the age of 13, Molly began working in a factory to support her family. The life of the working class people was characterized by low wages, job insecurity, and long work days. When she was 19, she moved to Leadville with her brother and sister in search of work. There, she found work at a dry goods store and also did some sewing work to make ends meet. Molly soon married a mining superintendent who was many years her senior. Through hard work and good fortune, her husband acquired vast amounts of wealth, enabling Molly to devote more time to social activities.
She volunteered in soup kitchens to help the poor miners’ families and facilitated the establishment of the Colorado chapter of the women’s rights organization National American Woman Suffrage Association. In 1894, Molly moved to Colorado with her family, which opened up even more social opportunities for her. She became a member of the Denver Woman’s Club, which aimed to improve women’s lives through continued education and charity work. As her husband became very rich, the Brown family came to be counted among the city’s elite. Molly adjusted well to the role of a high society lady and learned fluent French, German, and Russian. She also had an active interest in politics and ran for the Colorado senate in 1909, but withdrew her candidacy because her husband did not support her political ambitions.
Molly loved traveling and had made many trips to various parts of the world. It was during one such trip that she was aboard the luxury liner, Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912. Brown helped rescue many people before she herself was convinced to leave the sinking ship. She was hailed as a heroine for her role in the Titanic rescue operations and soon became very famous. Molly used this newfound fame to attract attention to causes that she strongly believed in, like women’s empowerment and children’s right to education.
Major Works
Even though she had always been interested in social activities, it was her role in the Titanic rescue operations that established her as the “Unsinkable Molly Brown”. When the ship was sinking, she took over rowing duties and helped many people get on the lifeboats. On the arrival of the ship Carpathia to aid the rescue, she took over the role of a translator and facilitated communication between the foreign tourists and the rescue officials. She also helped in preparing the survivor lists. After arriving in New York, she continued her work for Titanic survivors by collecting funds to give to those who became widows and orphans by the maritime tragedy; she raised nearly $10,000 for this purpose within a short time.
Awards & Achievements
In 1932, Molly was awarded the French Legion of Honour, the highest decoration in France, for her humanitarian and philanthropic activities, especially for her rescue work in the Titanic tragedy.
Personal Life & Legacy
Molly married James Joseph Brown in 1886 when she was only 19 years old. They had two children. The couple separated in 1909, though they did not legally divorce. They remained in contact with each other until James’s death in 1922. Molly suffered from poor health during her later years and died on October 26, 1932, at the age of 65.
The 1960 Broadway play titled ‘The Unsinkable Molly Brown’ was based on a highly fictionalized account of her life.
Trivia
Molly was never known by the name “Molly” during her lifetime; she went by the names of Margaret or Maggie. Some sources report her to have died from a brain tumor while others quote stroke as the cause of her death. Several years after the Titanic tragedy, she survived another tragedy by escaping a hotel fire in Palm Beach. She became an actress during her last years.