Zerelda Gray Sanders Wallace (August 6, 1817 – March 19, 1901) was the First Lady of Indiana from 1837 to 1840, and a temperance activist, women's suffrage leader, and inspirational speaker in the 1870s and 1880s.

In 1841 David served a one-year term in the U.S. Congress, but failed to win re-election and returned to his Indianapolis law practice in 1842.

[5] After David's death, Zerelda was left nearly penniless with young children still at home, but she refused assistance from other family members.

[6] Lew Wallace, Zerelda's stepson, became an American Civil War general and author of the novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.

[12][13] In 1890 its congregation dedicated a new church at Fort Wayne Avenue and Walnut Street, where Wallace's funeral service was held in 1901.

[6] Wallace had a longstanding interest in social reform, but she became more vocal in her support and an activist in the temperance and women's suffrage movements after 1873.

[4][15] Better known as an inspirational speaker rather than an administrator among the social reformers of her era, Wallace was popular on the national lecture circuit for her speeches on temperance and suffrage.

In November 1874 Wallace attended the national WCTU conference at Cleveland, Ohio, where she met suffragist Frances Willard.

Her friend Willard later remarked, "A man of equal ability would have been entitled to lead a party or to organize a cabinet.

In April 1878 twenty-six people who attended a meeting held at Wallace's home agreed to form the Equal Suffrage Society of Indianapolis.

Instead, the Society preferred to work with several different groups that were politically active in lobbying, letter-writing campaigns, gathering petitions, and speechmaking on behalf of women's suffrage.

As she explained in her address, "You must admit that in popular government the ballot is the most potent means of all moral and social reforms.

"[20] In 1881 Wallace was among those who lobbied the Indiana General Assembly to approve a woman's suffrage amendment to the state's constitution.

In 1888 Wallace spoke at the International Conference of Women in Washington, D.C. By that time she was a well-known and popular speaker on social reform issues, especially temperance and woman suffrage.

"[10] In 1930 the League of Women Voters selected Wallace to represent Indiana and installed a bronze plaque in recognition of her efforts on behalf of women's suffrage at its headquarters in Washington, D.C.[10] In 2004 an Indiana State Historical Marker was dedicated in Wallace's honor on the grounds of the Central Christian Church.