Clara Barton

Barton, Clara (1821–1912), founder of the American Red Cross (1881) and its first president (until 1904). She began a lifetime of relief work by organizing care and supplies for the wounded in the Civil War. On a trip to Europe (1869–73) she became involved in the activities of the International Red Cross, working behind German lines in the Franco-Prussian War. She was later influential in extending the range of the organization's relief work.

See also: Red Cross.