Molly Dewson, the women's division, and grassroots presidential campaigning during the New Deal

In the 1930s, Molly Dewson built the Women's Division of the Democratic National Committee into a central cog of FDR's presidential campaigns. She leveraged her personal friendship with the Roosevelts to develop a connected, national network of women who became the foot soldiers of the Democratic Party. By designing structures that made women the eyes and ears of the New Deal at the local level, the tactics and organizations she established persisted after her retirement and were copied by Republicans. Dewson ushered in a 30‐year period when women were at the center of presidential campaigns