She spent much of her life in Jacksonville, Florida, and was often described as one of the oldest suffragists active on the National Woman's Party (NWP) picket lines.

[3] The judge, believing prison would be too severe and harsh for an older women, urged Mrs. Nolan to pay her fine instead.

Days after she was released, Nolan wrote an article for The Suffragist and published a narrative describing in detail her experience at Occoquan Workhouse.

[4] Though she only spent a short time in the prison, Nolan's narrative provided the first full account of The Night of Terror.

[4]Nolan and seven other prisoners attempted to sue the District of Columbia Commissioners, Warden Zinkham of the District Jail, Superintendent Whittaker, and Captain Ream of the Occoquan Workhouse for cruel and brutal treatment, but they eventually dropped the cases as they stood little chance of winning.

[3] Because of her outstanding efforts in the suffragist movement, Jacksonville and the local chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) celebrate “Mary Nolan Day” every August 26.