Laura Reilley (née Holmes) was born on November 28, 1861, in St. Louis, Missouri. Reilley was an influential suffrage advocate who helped organize and administer several women's organizations in the state. During World War I, she served on the North Carolina Council of Defense and as chairman of the Committee on Women's Defense Work. Reilley died in Charlotte (Mecklenburg County) on February 25, 1941.