Antedating of "Ms."

[Shapiro, Fred]

The OED's first use for the form of address "Ms." is from a Dec. 4, 1901 Iowa newspaper.  The Iowa article is referring to prior usage in the Springfield (Mass.) Republican.  I have not yet traced the original Springfield article, but I have found an earlier other newspaper reprinting the Springfield article.  In the Newspaperarchive database, the Salt Lake Tribune, Nov. 17, 1901, p. 21, reprints the Springfield article, including the use of the term "Ms."

Fred Shapiro
Editor
Yale Book of Quotations (Yale University Press)
fred.shapiro at yale.edu

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