An education

Reflecting on the life of Lillian Hauerwas, an early, unofficial Harley-Davidson® outreach representative who dedicated her time to encouraging women riders 

Words: Kimberly A. Thomas 

Photos: Harley-Davidson Archives 

Not only was Lillian Hauerwas an avid rider herself, she was also a staunch proponent of women riding motorcycles. She began riding in 1911 at the age of 19, and 10 years later she reported that she had clocked up approximately 56,000 miles.  

She took every opportunity to try and persuade women that they could ride and still retain their grace and femininity. In articles she wrote for national trade magazines, The Harley-Davidson Dealer, and The Harley-Davidson Enthusiast, Lillian emphasised two main ideas: one, that a woman could ride a motorcycle and remain feminine; and two, that the barrier to more women riding motorcycles was simply a lack of knowledge of the sport and the machine.  

In her article, Educational Work Needed: More Women Would Ride Motorcycles if They Understood the Machines, Lillian states: “I am fully convinced that the reason more women do not ride motorcycles is that they fail to grasp the recreation possibilities of the machine.  

“Altogether too many women regard the motorcycle as complicated and hard to handle, where as a matter of fact it is just the opposite. If they could be induced to make a trial trip under proper auspices they would at once gain confidence…”  

Lillian was one of the first members, and the only female rider, of the Milwaukee Motorcycle Club, which formed in 1913. The club’s headquarters stood on 35th and Wells Streets, just blocks away from the Harley-Davidson® factory. She served as the official hostess for the club, helping to plan club parties and celebrations.  

Known for taking on challenges that most riders shied away from, Lillian appeared in numerous articles that touted her exploits. In the October 1912 issue of The Harley-Davidson Dealer, for example, it was stated: “Miss Lillian Hauerwas of Milwaukee… has achieved the enviable distinction of being the first girl to handle a motorcycle over the bad roads between Chicago and Milwaukee.”  

In 1913, during the 322-mile Gypsy Tour, which took the ride organised by the Milwaukee Motorcycle Club from Milwaukee by way of Madison and Appleton, a few of the male riders were heard to admit: “I wish I could ride like she does.”  

Lillian’s appetite for adventure and love of country even led her to enquire about becoming a motorcycle dispatch rider in Europe during the First World War.  

She also worked for the Motor Company for several years; the first official hint of her employment being a mention of her in an article that appeared in the November 16, 1916 issue of Motor Cycle Illustrated as a member of the Harley-Davidson team at the 1916 National Motorcycle, Bicycle and Accessory Mart-Convention held in Chicago. In 1917, she was listed as a member of the office staff, and by 1921 she had responsibilities for sales records and statistics.  

According to census records from 1930 and 1940, the indomitable Lillian then went on to work as a stenographer and, ultimately, trained to be an X-ray technician. 

---

Tags: