Interesting Women of Histiory A House For All Seasons – February, 2004 ...... 2 Muir Woods – the Same but Different – April, 2004 ...... 3 Just an Ordinary Woman – May, 2004 ...... 4 Enlightened Emily – August, 2004 ...... 4 Loie And Laguna – September, 2004 ...... 5 Serendipity – October, 2004 ...... 5 Mrs. Jack's house – November, 2004 ...... 6 Holiday Delights and Challenges – December, 2004 ...... 6 "General" Ruth – January, 2005 ...... 7 Who Were the Pardee’s? – March, 2005 ...... 7 Searching for an Extreme Makeover – April, 2005 ...... 8 Mother’s–Day Something Old Something New – May, 2005 ...... 8 Growing Up Naturally – June, 2005 ...... 9 Walking Tiburon's Rail Trail – July, 2005 ...... 9 Charley's Big Secret – August, 2005 ...... 10 From Society to Solitary – September, 2005 ...... 10 Lora’s Dream – October, 2005 ...... 11 Lizzie … Protector of Giants – November, 2005 ...... 11 Away from the Hectic Christmas Crowd – December, 2005 ...... 12 The Fire “Belle” – January, 2006 ...... 12 An Architect For All Seasons – February, 2006 ...... 13 Walking on the Back of the Whale – March, 2006 ...... 14 Down a Country Road – April, 2006 ...... 14 May Running – May, 2006 ...... 15 Re-Enacted and It Feels So Good! – June, 2006 ...... 15 Sybil’s Midnight Ride – July, 2006 ...... 16 Women Pirates – August, 2006 ...... 16 The Miner’s Angel – September, 2006 ...... 17 Sarah’s House For Restless Spirits – October, 2006 ...... 17 Lemonade from Lemons – November, 2006 ...... 18 Fantastic Achievements of a Self Made Woman – December, 2006 ...... 19 The Paper Bag Lady – January, 2007 ...... 19 California's Literary Mother – March, 2007 ...... 20 Long Ago and Far Away – April, 2007 ...... 20 A Rare and Forceful Woman – May, 2007 ...... 21 Love At First Sight – June, 2007 ...... 22 Against The Tides – July, 2007 ...... 22 Not Your Typical Shrinking Viking (or, what I learned while sailing the Norwegian fjords) – August, 2007 ...... 23 Who was Lou? (or, all this I learned while waiting for an elevator) – September, 2007 ...... 23 A Role Model of Usefulness – October, 2007 ...... 24 A good spy doesn’t get caught – November, 2007 ...... 24 The Mystery of Mileva – December, 2007 ...... 25 A One of a Kind Student – January, 2008 ...... 26 Esther and the Business of Love– February, 2008 ...... 26 Pathbreakers – March, 2008 ...... 27 Twice Saved – April, 2008 ...... 27 License to Paint – May, 2008 ...... 28 This Granny was a “Crab” – June, 2008 ...... 29 Madam Makes Good – July, 2008 ...... 29 She Who Would Be President – August, 2008 ...... 30 Women on the Line – September, 2008 ...... 30 Felipa’s Maps – October, 2008 ...... 31

By Pat Camareana page 1 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory Sadie Sets the Pace – November, 2008 ...... 31 What Louise Saw – December, 2008 ...... 32 Patients Need Not Apply – January, 2009 ...... 32 On-line Discoveries – February, 2009 ...... 33 White House Women … A Pop Quiz – March, 2009 ...... 34 The Lady in the Tricorn Hat – April, 2009 ...... 34 A Mother’s Day Myth – May, 2009 ...... 35 Mouse Eyebrows Anyone? – July, 2009 ...... 35 Lurline’s Hidden Treasure – August, 2009 ...... 36 Answers to March, 2009 Questions ...... 36 Luck of the Murphys – September, 2009 ...... 37 One Woman, One Barrel, and a Million Cubic Feet of Water – October, 2009 ...... 37 When They Were Orphans – November 2009 ...... 38 Kindred Spirits – December, 2009 ...... 38 Scandalous? – January 2010 ...... 39 Lydia’s Farewell Song – February, 2010 ...... 39 Ladies In the Bay – March, 2010 ...... 40 California's Literary Mother – April, 2010 ...... 40 Mom’s Advice – May, 2010 ...... 41 Baseball and Bikinis – June, 2010 ...... 41 Securing the Shadows – July, 2010 ...... 42 The Power of Persuasion – August, 2010 ...... 42 A Woman’s “Touch” – October, 2010 ...... 43 The Long Road to Outer Space – November, 2010 ...... 43 Holiday “Angels” – December, 2010 ...... 44 Looking Back and Forward – January, 2011 ...... 44 Harrye’s Historic Bells – February, 2011 ...... 45 Rights at Risk in Libya – March, 2011 ...... 46 So She Says – April, 2011 ...... 46 A Practical Reformer – May, 2011 ...... 47 No Regrets – June, 2011 ...... 47 No Regrets – July, 2011 ...... 48

1. A House For All Seasons – February, 2004 Imagine taking an entire house apart piece by piece and reassembling it miles away. Even more difficult to imagine is taking apart a two-century-old home and transporting it across an ocean and over an entire continent to be put back together inside of another building. Quite a feat, you say? Yes, well, this is exactly what happened to the ancestral home of the Huang family. The Huang family had lived since the 13th century in a small remote village in the southeastern region of Huizhou in China's Anhui Province. This particular edifice had been home to seven generations of the same family since the beginning of the 1800s. The house was called Yin Yu Tang by its inhabitants most of who were merchants. Over the years it had undergone renovations, additions, and subtractions to suit the needs of the individuals residing there. Many a newly married bride was transported there to begin a life with her husband's family and preside over the daily operation of the large two-story wood and stone building with a central courtyard. Here she would attend to the needs of the family: serving morning, midday, and evening meals, preparing water for baths, washing and mending clothes, working in the vegetable gardens, and caring for her children. Many generations of Huang children were born in this

By Pat Camareana page 2 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory house. The birth of boy children would help insure the acceptance of the woman into her husband's family. Over the years, the layout of the house was changed to accommodate the needs of the residents. Financial hardship forced some changes when rooms had to be let. During the Cultural Revolution, the Huangs were obligated to give space to strangers sent to the country for re-education. By the 1990s, the surviving Huang family members had moved away abandoning the house and made the hard decision to sell. In 1997 the entire house was moved in hundreds of pieces to Salem, Massachusetts, a city more famous for long-ago witch trials. Today this authentic Chinese merchant's house from the turn of the 19th century sits within the new wing of the Peabody-Essex Museum. This museum is America's oldest continuously operating museum. Yankee sea captains originally founded it in 1799. Many rooms display cultural treasures brought back by traders after journeys to the Orient. The name Yin Yu Tang lends itself to many levels of poetic interpretation. The three words can be translated simply as "shade/shelter" or "abundance" Today Yin Yu Tang holds an abundance of treasures for visitors. It conveys the feeling that a home is made up of much more than the lines, the designs and the wood that frame the building's spaces. The lives and memories of the many people who occupied this home for so long can be seen through the history of their decoration and modification of their personal spaces. There is an abundance of educational treasure here for the taking. For more information, visit the museum's website: www.pem.org.

2. Muir Woods – the Same but Different – April, 2004 Back in the early 1900s when Alice Eastwood used to hike in Muir Woods, it was a lot harder to get there. Alice, a noted botanist and curator of the California Academy of Sciences, was an avid hiker and scientific writer who described the flora of Mt. Tamalpias. She, like most visitors, probably arrived in the magnificent coastal redwood grove aboard the Mount Tamalpias and Muir Woods Railway starting in Mill Valley, following a switchback known as the "Crookedest Railroad in the World". After lunch at the hilltop tavern and hotel, adventuresome visitors in their city suits and leg of mutton-sleeved dresses boarded the gravity cars descending into Muir Woods. The cars were a sort of early day roller coaster. These open observation cars were hooked up to a steam engine, which pushed and pulled the load up and over the mountain on the return trip. Today's visitors in shorts and athletic shoes can still travel the old railroad route when they hike up or down Gravity Car Grade. Modern visitors and they come in droves come on a much easier albeit less exciting route less than 20 miles from San Francisco by car along Highway 1 via Tam Junction. Even though there are lots of visitors, even on weekdays, one can enjoy the solitude and beauty of this unique National Monument just as Alice Eastwood did over eighty years ago, by getting off the main trail, and hiking one of the less frequented higher-elevation trails which are well marked. This is the time of the year to find wild flowers and bird nests galore. Throughout the year, more than fifty species of birds call the woods home. A walk along Redwood Creek will let you discover its unique delights. William Kent (of Kentfield fame) was farsighted enough to purchase this 560-acre forest with its remaining old- growth coastal redwood forest and hand it over to the Feds in 1908 suggesting that it be named for the famous environmentalist John Muir. Avoid crowds by arriving early. Entrance fees are minimal. The solitude is maximum. Make some discoveries for yourself.

By Pat Camareana page 3 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory 3. Just an Ordinary Woman – May, 2004 Around the corner from a busy Amsterdam street, overlooking a narrow canal, stands a four story house where two ordinary women became extraordinary examples of courage and tolerance more than sixty years ago. In the early 1940s as the German occupation of Holland began, a thirty-three year old newly- married woman named Hermine took an office job in a firm making components for jam. One day her adored boss Otto confided in her that he and his family who were Jewish had decided to go into hiding in a secret annex behind the business area of the house. Hermine did not hesitate to help. For the next twenty-five months she and a few others, including her husband who was in the Dutch Resistance, brought food, comfort, and news of the outside world to the eight people who ultimately occupied the small dark upstairs rooms. At great risk, Hermine would take her bicycle to distant parts of the city to shop so as not to attract undue attention. Hermine became especially close to Otto's youngest teenaged daughter buying for her the precious notebooks in which she loved to write as well as her first pair of high heels. Great care was taken to keep the secret of the family's location, but unfortunately, in August of 1944, they were betrayed. The family was arrested by the Nazis. Hermine pleaded for their release at Gestapo headquarters, risking arrest herself. Fortunately she was Austrian by birth as was the arresting officer. Later, back at the house by the canal, Hermine took a greater risk in defiance of Nazi orders. She used a set of spare keys, entered the secret annex, and retrieved the young girl's journals and papers that had been scattered by the police in search of valuables. She put the red-checked diary and the other papers in an unlocked drawer of her desk hoping to return them to the teenage writer after the war. Only after receiving official word that there were no other survivors did she turn over the papers to the grieving father. By this act Hermine secured a unique place in history for herself and for the young girl. The girl we know as Anne Frank, whose thoughts and ideas have been touched the lives of countless numbers of readers world wide in more than sixty languages. Hermine herself lives still in Amsterdam and is still active with the Anne Frank Center, an international organization dedicated to tolerance. Known to Anne as "Miep Gies" Hermine was the only person mentioned in Anne's diaries to survive the war and whose name was not changed for protection in Anne's writings. Anne would have been 75 years old now had she lived. "Miep" is 95. She considers herself just an ordinary woman. www.annefrank.nl.

4. Enlightened Emily – August, 2004 This is the story of Emily Fish... socialite and lady of the light. During the early presidency of Abe Lincoln, Emily set off from Michigan at the tender age of 16 for the Far East. Her older sister, married to a doctor, had died in childbirth in Shanghai. Emily was off to undertake a long dangerous sea voyage to care for the new baby girl Juliet. This was to be a life-changing journey. Less than three years later Emily, newly married to her widowed brother-in-law, returned to the states. Her new husband had been recently appointed to be the medical director of the 16th Army Corps. Emily worked with the forerunner of the American Red Cross which was named the US Sanitary Commission. She also traveled with the Army through the South. After the war's end, she and her husband came to live in Northern California where he became a University of California professor, a doctor in private practice, and an Oakland politician. After his death, the active social life over, Emily embarked on a totally new career. Talk about one door closing and another opening! Through her son-in-law, Emily was recommended for the position of lighthouse keeper at the granite walled Point Pinos Lighthouse at the northern most point of the Monterey Peninsula. Why she took this position no one knows. However she tended the Fresnel lens for twenty-one years and was reportedly a By Pat Camareana page 4 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory strict taskmistress. Today the small Pt. Pinos Lighthouse with its 43 foot tower sits by a golf course in western Pacific Grove, little more than two hours south of the Bay Area. Deer roam where buffalo used to. It is the oldest continuously operating light-house on the west coast. Dedicated docents and other locals have lovingly restored it and are eager to tell visitors about life here at the turn of the century when Emily Fish and her French poodle entertained officers of visiting naval ships, artists, and writers of the Peninsula and watched for the many coastal vessels, square riggers, and whalers entering the Bay. Her interesting lighthouse logs are on display. An unusual job for a woman? Perhaps not for such an unusual woman breaking ground in an occupation usually reserved for men. For more information on the Pacific Grove area, go to the following web site: www.pacificGrove.com.

5. Loie And Laguna – September, 2004 Anyone who has seen “Contact” or “Movin Out” on the stage recently will remember the long-legged girl in the fabulous yellow dress. Six foot tall Holly Cruikshank is a phenomenal dancer athlete… a delight to behold. Over one hundred years ago in the 1890s, Illinois born Loie Fuller was wowing audiences on the Parisian stage. She developed her own natural style of movement and improvisation techniques. She combined her own choreography with artfully moving silk costumes illuminated by self designed multi- colored lighting for which she held US patents. She was a performer at the Folies-Bergere and an admired and respected friend of many artists and scientists of the time such as Toulouse-Lautrec and Marie Curie. Lois, the first ex-patriot American dancer, promoted many European tours for modern dancers including Isadora Duncan. This summer in Laguna Beach, Loie and also Isadora were celebrated in the unique Pageant of the Arts program in which the talented local community, transform selective artworks into “living pictures”. The red-haired Loie’s first Parisian poster designed by Jules Cheret in 1893 was also selected to grace this year’s Pageant t-shirt. Every summer since the 1930s the Pageant of the Arts is presented in the canyon amphitheater. Laguna Beach is located about 30 miles south of Los Angeles and a world away in ambiance, being a little like Carmel with palm trees. If you are interested in attending next summer, visit their website for more information: www.LagunaFestivalofArts.org.

6. Serendipity – October, 2004 Loie and Alma met by chance in pre-war Paris at a dinner party. All San Franciscans have benefited culturally from their long ago friendship. Alma grew up impoverished in the Sunset district on a sandy farm. Loie was born in a saloon in Illinois. Alma married a super-rich sugar baron after a career as a model. In 1914 Alma, a wealthy matron now, sailed to Europe on a furniture-shopping spree. There she met Loie who had made for herself a solid reputation in Europe as an innovative dancer (see August Avanti). Through her friendship with the sensational Loie, Alma met many members of the continental aristocracy as well as quite a few famous artists. With Loie's help, Alma evolved into one of the most important art collectors in the world. Through Loie, Alma met an up and coming sculptor named Auguste Rodin. With much persistent effort on Loie's part, Alma eventually secured thirteen of Rodin's master works as well as some of his drawings. Big Alma, as she became known, premiered the bronze Rodin sculptures at the 1915 Pan American Exposition (Palace of Fine Arts area of the city). To permanently house her Rodins and other collected art pieces, as well as to honor all the California soldiers killed in WWI, Alma energetically spearheaded a multitude of fundraising projects which By Pat Camareana page 5 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory culminated in the 1924 building of the exquisite Beaux-Artes museum we all enjoy today... The Legion of Honor, set in a breath taking location over looking the entrance to the Golden Gate is the result of her efforts. As you may have deduced by now, Alma was Alma de Bretteville Spreckels. Loie was Loie Fuller, who was written about last month. A chance meeting many years ago has left an enduring legacy for our city. If you want more information, go to the Legion's website: www.thinker.org. The Legion is free on Tuesdays thanks to the Ford Motor Company.

7. Mrs. Jack's house – November, 2004 A visit to Mrs. Jack's house could be compared to time traveling back to Venice in the 1500s. Dismantled stone by stone from a Renaissance palazzo, Mrs. Jack carefully supervised its reassembly in an up-and-coming area of her city in 1903. She was a wealthy socialite who seemed to enjoy ruffling the feathers of the local social set. As a result of her penchant for world travel and her enduring friendships with many contemporary artists, Mrs. Jack became a farsighted and eclectic art collector. As well as being her home, the palazzo became the showcase for her ever-expanding assortment of paintings, ceramics, manuscripts, prints, and sculptures. Architectural elements obtained in her travels were incorporated into the building itself. As stipulated in her will, the interior of Mrs. Jack's house has not been altered nor have any of the art pieces been rearranged. Empty frames have been left in place as mute evidence of the 1990 break-in in which three Rembrandts and one Vermeer were stolen and never recovered. A unique atmosphere and a sense of intimacy have been created in this museum. Mrs. Jack's full name is Isabella Stewart Gardner. The city is Boston. In the days before Huntington and Morgan, Mrs. Gardner established the idea of housing great works of art in a palatal setting for the education and enjoyment of the public forever. For more information on visiting Mrs. Jack's house go to: www.gardnermuseum.org.

8. Holiday Delights and Challenges – December, 2004 A pot of boiling applesauce rolls off the table and spatters the entire kitchen as the room pitches and tosses. A willing but unable assistant accidentally throws the silverware overboard along with the dirty dishwater. These incidents are not common today as we prepare for company coming to celebrate this holiday season. These were two events that made celebrating the holidays difficult for Mary Lawrence Chipman of Falmouth, Massachusetts according to her pre-Civil War journal. True, holidays can be a challenge to enjoy today if shopping, cooking, and traveling to grandmother's house makes us crazy. That was also the case back in the late 1850s but the value of being with friends and family has not changed. For Mary, preparing for the holidays was done while traveling with her captain husband and their small daughter aboard a whaling ship in the Arctic Pacific in the late 1850s. Mary was one of the very few women who stayed aboard as the ship searched for whales. As holiday time neared, spirits were low. The crew was homesick. Few whales had been taken. This was the time of year when their New England home and families left behind were most missed. The weather and heavy surf prevented Mary from going ashore so she had to depend on the crew to return with fresh fruit and vegetables and to capture some wild goats and hogs. She made pies for holiday dinner from gooseberries and Indian pudding from goat's milk. Not unlike today roast turkeys, roasted potatoes, cranberries, stewed pumpkins, and boiled

By Pat Camareana page 6 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory onions were served Minnie's stocking was filled with fruit and small toys. The best part of the occasion was that the ship was fortunate enough to sail into a port and attend services at a seaman's bethel. Mary and her family were able to spend time in the company of the seamen and their families from other ships in port. That was Mary's greatest pleasure and the highlight of the holiday before the return to a lonely life at sea. Let us all cherish our friends and family at this holiday time of year and take pleasure in their company just as Mary and her family did so long ago.

9. "General" Ruth – January, 2005 Remember the old television show called "Mission Impossible" in which a secret dangerous mission was undertaken for some noble cause? This was the situation "General" Ruth found herself in as WWII neared its end. Brooklyn-born Ruth Gruber was a young photojournalist for the New York Herald Tribune. As a grad student in Germany in the 30s she had personally seen the rise of Hitler and Nazism. Back in the US she was recruited away from her newspaper job by the then Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes in the cabinet of President Franklin Roosevelt. Ickes asked her to undertake a special project: secretly escorting a large group of Jewish refugee families on a dangerous Atlantic crossing from Italy to America. These families had been released from concentration camps in various parts of Europe as the Allies began to make headway. Many of these families had made their way down into Italy under difficult circumstances. Ruth was given the rank of "simulated general" as a protection under the Geneva Convention in case she fell into enemy hands. The President permitted these "guests" to "visit" the US temporarily in 1944, without any permanent resident status. The group of 982 sailed on a troop ship with Ruth to the US as "cargo" due to immigration restrictions on refugees. They eventually became housed for about two years at Ft. Ontario, an old decommissioned army-training base near Oswego in northern New York State. Their stay there was not without it challenges but at least they were safe. Ruth later lobbied Congress to enable the refugees to be allowed to stay in America. Eventually some Congressional representatives came with Eleanor Roosevelt to inspect the camp. The Boy and Girl Scout troops, begun by the sympathetic local community, paraded proudly in their uniforms. Following the war's end, President Truman adjusted the refugees' status. The refugees were allowed to stay in the US if they wished. Ruth Gruber went on to have an impressive career as a well-respected author and photo-journalist. She later documented the ordeal of the displaced Holocaust survivors attempting to resettle in Palestine. Remember the movie "Exodus"? Today in her early 90s, Ruth Gruber still lives in New York and -keeps busy as a writer and speaker. Old Ft. Ontario, formerly the site of British invasions in the late 1700s, has recently opened the Safe Haven Museum and educational center devoted to commemorating the only refugee camp in the US for Holocaust survivors. Ruth Gruber's fascinating part in this story is prominently featured. Given an impossible mission, Ruth proved to be up to the challenge. For more information: www.uwalumni.com, www.canoe.ca.com.

10. Who Were the Pardee’s? – March, 2005 Helen’s husband, George Pardee, was the betterknown member of the family. The two had gone to Oakland High School together in the 1870s. She became a teacher before they married, retiring when her

By Pat Camareana page 7 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory children were born. The mother of four girls, two of whom died in youth, she became a homemaker and armchair traveler as her husband entered local politics. Before the Great Earthquake he had become mayor of Oakland, as had his father earlier. In 1903, he became governor of California and, later, president of the board of directors of the east bay utility district after World War 1. Helen was the gracious hostess for the many important visitors they entertained in their Victorian style home in downtown Oakland. She became an eclectic collector of all sorts of wonders from exotic places even though she herself was not a traveler. Today her house is considered one of the best examples of Italianate architectural constructions in Northern California. The tall skyscrapers of downtown Oakland have risen close by. The huge country-style house sits surrounded by a white picket fence, close to the 980 freeway and Preservation Park. Visitors can climb up the stairs to the cupola with its great city views where her children would sleep on warm summer nights and tell ghost stories. Her collection of brass candlesticks, ivory carvings, and rock specimens can be enjoyed today as her house has been restored as it was when the last family daughter lived there in 1980. The Pardee House is open for tours on Friday and Saturday at noon for a modest entrance fee. For more information see: www.Pardeehome.org.

11. Searching for an Extreme Makeover – April, 2005 Yes, spring is upon us…if the rain ever stops! Time to consider renewal, makeovers, or garden upgrades. If you are looking for inspiration for a landscape redesign dream, there is a new place to visit in Sonoma on highway 121 that just might help to regenerate your dormant green thumb. Cornerstone Festival of Gardens, which debuted last summer, has been inspired by the International Garden Festival in France. Its purpose is to celebrate the connection between art, architecture, and nature. Force yourself to pass up the first few wineries on Arnold Drive and turn right just past the huge perpetual motion aquablue tree sculpture. There you will discover nine acres of ever changing innovative gallery-style garden installations designed by local landscape architects. There is also an interesting artifact design and salvage store (gazebos, giant clock faces, Italian statuary, fountains, pot, etc.). There are plenty of ideas here to make your garden unique or quirky. Sloat Garden also has a shop on site. There is also a market café should your garden designing energies burn sufficient calories for hunger to set in Cornerstone Gardens is open daily. For more information check out their website: [email protected].

12. Mother’s–Day Something Old Something New – May, 2005 May 8th, the 128th day of this calendar year, is yet again Mother’s Day. Despite the commercialism and over-sentimentality that this holiday can evoke, the basic idea of celebrating the contributions of women and mothers is varied and diverse worldwide with roots going back to ancient Egypt and pre-Christian Rome. The early Christian church took over the idea by encouraging people to make visits to their mother churches on a certain day of the year. In the 1600s in England, Mothering Day became the day when servants were given the day off to journey home to visit their mothers. In our country the idea of honoring the nurturers in our lives can be traced to Anna Jarvis in the hills of Appalachia more than 150 years ago. Anna originated the concept of a “Mother’s Work Day” to raise her local community’s awareness of the poor economic and health conditions . Nothing much came of the plan. A dozen or so years later Julia Ward Howe tried to promote the idea of setting aside a day on which mothers would band together and advocate for peace. This plan did not fly either. After Anna Jarvis died, in 1905, her daughter began to campaign for an annual day to officially honor mothers, incorporating By Pat Camareana page 8 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory church services and flower giving. The time was right and the idea caught on culminating in the official proclamation in 1913 by President Woodrow Wilson for the second Sunday in May to be set aside to honor the contributions of mothers to our society. Whatever the historical background and despite the over-sentimentality and commercialism that has developed around Mother’s Day observances, one can still pause and consider what is our present day sense of nurturing and what complicated roles women play in today’s society.

13. Growing Up Naturally – June, 2005 Hulda had a wonderful childhood, roaming through the Santa Cruz Mountains and camping out along the creek that meandered down to the ocean through the marshes on her father's ranch. Her father was Theodore J. Hoover, first dean of Engineering at Stanford University in the 20s and mid 30s. Her uncle Herbert Hoover was the 31st president of the United States. Hulda and her sister planted redwoods that still flourish in Waddell Valley, named for an early lumberman who died of wounds from one of the many grizzlies that once roamed the valley. After her graduation from Stanford, Hulda continued to spend as much time as possible on the ranch by the sea. She brought up her three children to appreciate the lovely valley and the beaches where the Ohlones once had their summer encampments and where Portola visited during his search for Monterey Bay in 1769. In the 1970s and 1980s Hulda and her family gradually turned over the ranch to the state of California. The property is now called Rancho Del Oso and is a nature and history center. The entire 60 acres are now part of Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Hulda is pushing 100 and still an ardent environmentalist. She could still be seen out hiking up to a few years ago. A visit to this interesting area is an easy 46-mile ride south on Highway 1. The nature center is open weekends from noon to four. On Sundays a naturalist is on hand to lead short hikes in the marsh or up in the pine forest overlooking the beach and nearby Ano Nuevo. Bicycling, horseback riding, and backpacking activities are available. Across the road is Waddell Creek beach with picnicking, windsurfing, and bird watching opportunities. Bring water and a picnic lunch and enjoy this little jewel of a valley. For more information look on line under California State Parks or call: 831-427-2288.

14. Walking Tiburon's Rail Trail – July, 2005 Years ago the train from Eureka passed along the shore of Richardson's Bay toward the rail yards in Tiburon. Blackie, the retired cutting horse, would look up from his pasture as the whistle blew and children waved. Beloved by all, Blackie grazed in the field near the tracks for many years until his death in 1966. The last rail tracks were removed two years later. A colorful period in Tiburon history ended. Soon another era began as the local historical preservation society worked with the city government to replace the rails with a superb running, walking, cycling, and roller blading trail. If you take the E. Blythedale turnoff from highway 101, about a ten minute drive north from the Golden Gate Bridge, and travel two miles or so east and you will come to a parking lot and Blackie's Pasture. There a bronze statue of the sway-backed Blackie stands gazing out now at the beginning of this wonderful flat three mile easy trail with fantastic views of Mt. Tamalpias, the hills of Sausalito, the Golden Gate Bridge, and downtown San Francisco. Along the trail there are historical markers with brief stories about days gone

By Pat Camareana page 9 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory by and photos of the way the area looked many years ago. Picnic tables and benches are plentiful. You can walk all the way into Tiburon if you want to. While you are in the area, nearby is the Tiburon Audubon Center with more spectacular bay views, the historic Lyford House displaying the artwork of John James Audubon, and a half-mile easy nature trail. Both of these locations have websites for more information: www.railTrails.org and www.tiburonAudubon.org. An afternoon spent along the bay here can remind us all how fortunate we are to live in the Bay Area.

15. Charley's Big Secret – August, 2005 One-eyed Charley Parkhurst guarded a life-long secret. Reportedly, Charley escaped from a New England orphanage disguised as a young man. Finding work was made easier by maintaining the deception. Charley always wore long leather gloves with beaded fringes. This disguise became Charley's life-style. As years passed, taciturn Charley came west to California developing a reputation as an unflappable and highly skilled stagecoach driver during the Gold Rush. Wearing a black patch over one eye resulting from a driving injury, Charley began to appear even more formidable. Finally Charley gave up driving and moved up into the Santa Cruz Mountains in the 1860s and spent lots of time chewing tobacco, smoking cigars, and playing cards and dice with the rest of the boys. Long before the women’s suffrage movement was in full swing, Charley registered to vote in the 1868 US presidential election. For this reason Charley was assured a unique place in local history as the first known woman ever to vote in a US election. Only at her death was Charley's secret revealed. Charlotte Parkhurst she was!!! If you find yourself in the Watsonville/Aptos area any time soon, you can drop by and visit Charley's grave and historical marker in the Watsonville Pioneer Cemetery off Freedom Road. For more information on Charley/Charlotte, try these websites: www.curiousChapBooks.com or www.linecamp.com/museums.

16. From Society to Solitary – September, 2005 Born into the upper echelons of Anglo-Irish society in 1868, Constance turned away from the luxuries offered by her family position. She chose instead a life that involved hardship, imprisonment, and, at last, an early death in the public ward of a Dublin hospital. Con grew up at Lissadell House in western Ireland in a land of sandy bays and dramatic limestone ridges. After attending art schools in London and Paris, she married a fellow art student... a Polish count. After their move to Dublin, Constance grew more dissatisfied with her comfortable existence. She was exposed to the extreme poverty of the city and the growing nationalism sweeping the country. This was a whole new start for her. As time passed she became more and more radical, organizing a youth group to teach military skills and joining a revolutionary women's group. Politics became first in her life. She also became involved in the struggles of the unemployed poor in the filthy tenements. Constance had become a lieutenant in the Irish Citizen Army by the time of the Easter Rising in 1916. In her uniform with the feathers in her hat, she was behind the sandbags on St. Stephen's Green exchanging fire with the British troops. After the rebels were forced to surrender, she was court-martialed and put in solitary confinement at Kilmainham Gaol with the other leaders awaiting the firing squads. Because she was a woman, her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. All the other rebel officers were put to death in the following days. She could hear the shots from her dingy cell.

By Pat Camareana page 10 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory Over the following years Constance was in and out of prison under cold, damp, and dark conditions that certainly compromised her health. Elected to Parliament, she refused to take her seat, ending up in prison again. In her later years, after helping to establish the first Irish rebel parliament, she lived a simple life devoted to the poor of Dublin. Constance Markiewicz was an unorthodox woman who lived her beliefs. If you travel to Ireland, take time to visit the Kilmainham Prison where she and the other rebels waited their turns in from the firing squads. Also, to see the contrast in her life, visit Lissadell House near Sligo. For more information on Constance try the following website: www.theWildGeese.com.

17. Lora’s Dream – October, 2005 Lora was born into a well-to-do Illinois family as the Civil War was winding down. During her two marriages she became a well-known philanthropist and a frequent visitor to California. Lora's dream was to construct a replica of a ninth century Viking castle. To fulfill this dream, she purchased 239 acres of land on the shores of Emerald Bay in 1928. Then, on the eve of the Great Depressions, at the age of 65, she journeyed to Scandinavia with her architect. There they studied Viking architecture and art in churches, castles, and museums. This trip inspired the design of both the exterior and interior of Lora's twostory thirty-eight-room country home, which she named Vikingsholm. The floor plan was designed so as to protect and incorporate the large firs and cedars. The sod roofs were seeded with wildflowers. Roof ridges sported carved dragonheads. Hand-hewn timbers were decorated with Norse carvings, Photos of Viking vintage furniture were carefully studied and replicated down to the smallest detail. Delicate paintings on interior ceilings and walls added to the ambiance. A small stone teahouse was built on the island in the bay so Lora and her guests could be rowed out for refreshments on lazy summer afternoons. Lora enjoyed sixteen laid-back summers with her guests at Vikingsholm before her death in 1945. Today this lovely area is part of the California State Park System. From highway 89, 17 miles south of Tahoe city, summer visitors can hike down the steep one-mile trail to tour the castle and swim or picnic on the sandy beach. Sometimes the tour is led by a very informative lady, who was a frequent guest herself during her youth. To learn more about Lora Moore Knight, her unique home, and Emerald Bay State Park, visit these websites: www.parks.ca.gov or www.vikingsholm.com.

18. Lizzie … Protector of Giants – November, 2005 Ordinarily, the word “giants” conjures up tall, strong beings, capable of taking on all aggressors. In the case of these particular giants, although fitting this description, they still needed a protector to survive. More than a hundred years ago, Lizzie Armstrong Jones took on this role. The daughter of a real estate developer, lumberman, and amateur botanist, she grew up among these giants along the Russian River near Guerneville. These giants were, and are still, very special trees –Coastal Redwoods, unique to our area growing only from Southern Oregon to Central California and only within fifty miles of the Pacific Ocean. Lizzie's father suffered many financial setbacks and then died before realizing his dream of seeing the large grove of redwoods on his property becoming protected from the large amount of predation in the interests of the growing need for lumber as Sonoma County developed at the turn of the last century. Lizzie and her husband worked diligently for many years to influence the local government to purchase and preserve the redwood grove which is today the largest stand left in Sonoma County. Finally, after public meetings, car caravans, and many petitions, a strong popular demand for action was generated. By Pat Camareana page 11 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory After World War I, the time was right. The 400 acres was deeded to the state. WPA programs helped enhance the grove for visitors to enjoy hiking, horseback riding, and picnicking beneath the giant redwoods, the tallest living things on earth. Today the Armstrong Redwood Grove is a state reserve of 805 acres. All trails are disability accessible. There is Wi-Fi access. Visitors will find this park less crowded than Muir Woods but no less awesome. Lizzie would be amazed! For more information on the park and other attractions in the area, try this website: www.parks.ca.gov.

19. Away from the Hectic Christmas Crowd – December, 2005 Off the beaten path and only fifty miles south of San Francisco off of Highway #1 on the San Mateo County coast and world's away in character and ambiance lies the small farming town of Pescadero. A small country community of about 670 residents, Pescadero is situated among colorful fields of straw flowers and brussels sprouts. During the holiday season, driving down here for a day or a long weekend could prove to be a remedy for too much turkey, crowds, and Christmas wrap. There is much to do in the area during the quiet winter season. Rustic barns and many picturesque white clapboard buildings dating from the late 1800s are waiting to be photographed. There's a good grocery/deli called Archangeli's for picnic supplies and locally baked loaves of Bavarian sourdough or garlic artichoke bread, and chicken artichoke sausages. Tired of eggnog and stuffing? Try lunch at Duarte's. This old fashioned Portuguese family restaurant has served up homemade fruit pies and such goodies as cream of green chile or cream of artichoke soup for over one hundred years. After filling your stomach, you can drive back up Highway #1 and stop in at Pescadero Beach to admire the awesome winter surf or take your binoculars and wander through Pescadero Marsh across the road where many species of winter migrating birds can be seen. Ano Nuevo State Reserve is just a few miles down the road where the sea elephants haul out to give birth each winter Guided tours begin Dec. 15th. If you go home in an easterly direction, you pass through the grand redwoods in the canyons of nearby Butano State Park with miles of hiking trails. There you can work off the holiday meals or, at least, feel less guilty. Treat yourself this holiday season! Happy Holidays!!! For more information try these web sites: www.totalescape.com o r www.bahiker.com.

20. The Fire “Belle” – January, 2006 In just a matter of a few months, San Franciscans will be commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 1906 earthquake and fire. Howvever, there had been devastating fires in the City on six previous occasions. Back in the mid 1800s, volunteer firemen hand hauled fire wagons up the steep hills of the young city. Young Elizabeth became their champion. As a teenager, Elizabeth Hitchcock lived near Telegraph Hill across the street from Knickerbocker Engine Co. 5. One day, walking home from school, she saw the short-staffed wolunteers struggling to drag a heavy water wagon uphill. Putting down her books, she grabbed a towrope. She began pulling and encouraging the weary ment Elizabeth’s devotion to the firemen of San Francisco lasted her long life. She became an honorary member of the Knickerbocker Engine Co. with her own helmet and gold badge. Long after she no longer

By Pat Camareana page 12 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory rode to fires with the men, she perched on fire trucks in parades and visited the injured in hospitals. Even after moving to France for a long period of time, she continued to donate money to causes benfiting the fire department. Her clothes and household linens were embroidered with the number “5”. A world traveler and married to a wealthy financier, she remained down-to-earth in many respects. Elizabeth could play poker, drink, smoke cigars and shoot a pistol with the best. Although named Elizabeth by her parents, we remember her today as Lillie Hitchcock Coit or “Fire belle Lil”. Reminders of her impact on our city can be seen by visiting several locations around town. Best known is 210-foot tall Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill. Built in 1933 with $118,000 from Lillie’s estate, it is said to resemble the nozzle of a firehose. A life-sized sculpture of three firemen was constructed in Washington Square. The Firehouse Museum on Presidio at Pine, has a showcase of Lillie memorabilia. Though not a native San Franciscan, Lillie Coit considere our city to be her true home and the firemen who protect us to be her true friends. She was certainly theirs. Try these websites for more information: www.SFFireMuseum.org and www.SFMuseum.net.

21. An Architect For All Seasons – February, 2006 The charm of our city’s colorful past lives on because of Julia. She was just coming into her own as an up and coming young architect as the smoke and dust was clearing from the 1906 earthquake and fire. Many reconstruction projects came her way in the following years including the badly fire damaged Fairmont Hotel atop Nob Hill. Twelve years earlier, Julia, a native San Franciscan, had been among the first few women to receive a civil engineering degree from UC Berkeley. Subsequently, Julia became the first woman to earn a certificate from the prestigious Ecole Nationale des Beaux Artes in Paris. Back in San Francisco she opened her own architectural firm. She soon won the Phoebe Apperson Hearst competition to design the master building plan for the University of California. Because of her early designs on the UC and Mills campuses, and many private residences that survived the 1906 earthquake, Julia developed a fine reputation as a low profile designer who made good use of local materials and worked closely with her clients. For many years, Julia worked with the Hearst family in the design and construction of Hearst Castle near Cambria and Wyntoon in the Mt. Shasta area. By the time she retired after forty-five years in practice, Julia Morgan had compiled a legacy of over seven hundred designs. The Cal Poly library has a special collection of her personal journals, correspondence, designs, sketches, photos, and books. It is possible to see many of the hospitals, clubs, stores, churches, schools, and private residences designed by this small dynamo of a woman. Many of the sites are in San Francisco such as the Hearst Building downtown, the Native Daughters of the Golden West building on Baker Street, and the Katherine Delmar Burke School. A walking tour of her buildings in the Berkeley area can be downloaded on the KQED website. The following websites show pictures, give addresses, and provide additional details about the architectural designs of this unique native daughter: www.greatBuildings.com; www.verlang.com; and www.bluffton.edu.

By Pat Camareana page 13 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory 22. Walking on the Back of the Whale – March, 2006 Way out at the farthest end of the Point Reyes National Seashore’s northernmost edge lays Tomales Point. It is a wild and windy place on some days, sweet and seductive on others. The land is open, rolling, and grassy. Granite rock outcroppings protrude on this piece of the Pacific plate that is slowly passing north of the rest of California like a giant whale. The history of this area illustrates the tradition of industriousness of early Bay Area pioneers. Back in the 1850s, several ranches were established here producing some of the best dairy products destined for fancy San Francisco restaurants and hotels. Point Reyes Creamery butter graced the elegant tables of the Nob Hill nouveau-rich. Schooners plied their way up the coast from San Francisco, tied up at the wharf, and loaded the much soughtafter sweet creamy butter. In the late 1800s, many people called the dairy ranch and the nearby fish camps home. There were enough children living there that a schoolhouse was constructed, employing a schoolteacher who received $70 a month (in 1916) and boarded with one of the local families. To reach the ranch, she would have traveled up from San Francisco on the train that ran along the edge of Tomales Bay and then been ferried across the bay to the ranch. Today the train is only a memory. The once three-hour trip to Inverness takes only about 20 minutes now. The Pierce Point ranches no longer operate. The ranch property is part of the national seashore. A self-guided walk around the remaining ranch buildings gives visitors a glimpse into the isolated 19th century ranch life that once flourished at this beautiful end of nowhere. The scenery here is the best. On the west is pounding surf and high sheer cliffs. On the east is the long quiet bay, which actually lies in a fracture along the San Andreas earthquake fault line. A herd of more than 400 Tule elk roam where dairy cattle once grazed. A 9.5-mile moderate hike leads out and back to the Point itself through the elk preserve and fields of spring wildflowers. The paved road ends here and back in time you can go, for a little while at least. To learn more about this area, try one of these websites: www.bahiker.com or www.pointreyes.org.

23. Down a Country Road – April, 2006 Spring is here finally! Wildflowers are flourishing this year thanks to our abundance of recent rain. A great weekend getaway this month would be a backcountry drive off the beaten path to find some awesome fields of wildflowers. Such a place lies about 175 miles south of San Francisco in Monterey County. Leaving highway 101 near Jolon on G14 will lead you into the San Antonio Valley going west toward the foothills of Los Padres National Forest, formerly the hunting preserve on the Hearst family property. Several lakes with campsites, cabins, marinas, good hiking trails, and wildlife tours are here as well as (surprise!) vineyards and a winery. The gently rolling hills are dotted with beautiful oak trees. Fields of lupines and poppies abound. It was out here in this still remote area in 1771 that Fr. Serra decided to build the third of the twenty-one Spanish missions, five years before our local Mission Dolores was built. Mission San Antonio de Padua sits within the Hunter Liggett military base. When visiting this remarkably intact mission, it is easy to imagine the quiet life here for the padres and the Salinan Indians two hundred years ago as little has changed in the surrounding valley. Phoebe Hearst and the Hearst Foundation helped finance the loving restoration nearly sixty years ago. A good museum, murals, an aqueduct, and a threshing floor add to the value of a visit. Nearby are caves with Salinan Indian petroglyphs. Cal Poly conducts archaeological digs. Small armies of brush rabbits

By Pat Camareana page 14 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory and quail scurry by seemingly oblivious to visitors. Also close by is the hacienda built by architect Julia Morgan for her personal use during the time she worked for the Hearst family building Hearst Castle just over the Santa Lucia Mountains on the coast. If you need to celebrate spring this month and have a free weekend, consider driving down a country road to visit the San Antonio Valley for some peace, poppies, and perhaps some pinot! For more information, try these websites: www.pelicannetwork.net, www.athanasius.com, or www.lakeSanAntonio.net.

24. May Running – May, 2006 May has finally arrived here in San Francisco and with it, comes the annual ritual known as the Bay To Breakers race, across town to Ocean Beach. Thousands of men and women of all sizes, shapes, and nationalities have trained for that one May Sunday morning when they test their endurance while having an enjoyable morning running in their high tech athletic shoes. Thousands of others rise early from bed on that momentous day, get coffee, stretch out in front of the TV, and view the spectacle from a prone position. This phenomenon seems to be a part of our current culture. Down in the high mountains of northern Mexico live a group of indigenous people for whom running is an integral part of everyday life. The Tarahumara (or Raramuri as they call themselves) live in relative isolation in small family groups in rock shelters, log cabins, or caves in the remote and spectacular Copper Canyon area. They are primarily goat and sheepherders with a little agriculture thrown in. Both men and women excel in foot races over unbelievable long distances, sometimes running for days. Running games can last 24 to 48 hours. For centuries hunters have chased down deer by pursuing them on foot for days until the animal dropped from exhaustion. In this wild area of buttes, gorges, and mesas, it is often faster and safer to travel on foot than on horse or burro. Mind you…all this running is done barefoot or in truck tire tread sandals and at elevations over 7-8,000 feet. Years ago two Tarahumara men represented Mexico in the 26-mile Olympic marathon in Amsterdam. They lost first place by several minutes. Perhaps it was not their fault. No one told them where the race ended. They crossed the finish line and continued running until finally stopped miles later. Amazed that the race was over, they complained “Too short! Too short!” Imagine what they’d think of the Bay To Breakers race being only eight plus miles and all at about sea level! Probably no one will be wearing tire tread sandals this year either. For more information on the Tarahumaras and the beautiful Copper Canyon area of Mexico, try these websites: www.mexicosCopperCanyon.com or www.mexOnline.com, or www.mexConnect.com.

25. Re-Enacted and It Feels So Good! – June, 2006 Presently, in the heart of Saxony, Germany, Augustus the Strong and Countess Cosel, more amicable than in past times, stroll hand in hand through the cobblestone streets in early 18th century regalia. They are usually followed by a band of europaying tourists. Visitors are eager to experience the soul of the beautifully restored city of Dresden through the eyes of these 18th century superstars or rather, their re- enactors cum tour guides. After having been nearly destroyed in the latter part of WWII, modern Dresden on the Elbe River is a large city graced by impressive baroque churches and beautiful palaces. One of these restored palaces is now a five star hotel. It had once been gifted to the Countess so she could cross the connecting bridge to the palace when summoned. Augustus, a womanizer to the extreme (perhaps three hundred children to his credit) later banished the 36-year-old Countess Cosel to one of the By Pat Camareana page 15 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory palaces he had previously given her. She had become too demanding when he decided to take a new wife and convert to Catholicism in order to solidify his claim to the throne of Poland. There in the fortress palace, the Countess lived in exile for 49 years even after the death of her former lover. Much good can be said of Augustus, however. Because of his youthful travels through Europe, he had learned to appreciate Italian Renaissance art. He later taxed his subjects severely in his quest to acquire the exquisite works of art still to be seen in Dresden’s green vault collection of magnificent sculptures and intricate inlaid precious art objects. Today Augustus and Countess Cosel (or their re-enactors to be precise) continue to share their passion for their lovely riverside city perhaps more harmoniously than they did three hundred years ago. For more information, try these travel websites: www.saxonyTourism.com or www.dresden Information.com.

26. Sybil’s Midnight Ride – July, 2006 The annual 4th of July commemoration is upon us replete with parades and family barbeques. On this day we celebrate the long ago events that signaled our independence from England and the beginnings of our democracy. Fireworks will light up the skies. Some passing thoughts may drift to the actual process that our forefathers and mothers set in motion that guarantee the freedoms that we enjoy today. Many famous names ring mental bells when we recall the events of the Revolutionary War. Names such as Washington, Franklin, and Revere are familiar from our school days, but what about Sybil Ludington? Hawthorne’s famous poem teaches children about Paul Revere’s midnight ride to Lexington in 1775 warning of the arrival of the British troops. Unfortunately, no one wrote a poem to commemorate Sybil’s longer solo ride two years later. Sybil’s father was a colonel in the local militia near Danbury, Connecticut, close to the New York border. In those days, Danbury was an important military depot. As Sybil was putting her eleven younger siblings to bed, word reached the family that the British troops were burning and looting the town intent on destroying military supplies often stored in private homes. Sixteen year old Sybil convinced her father to allow her to ride alone more than 40 miles over unmarked roads, using only a stick to urge her horse forward in the darkness. Knocking on farmhouse doors way after midnight, Sybil was able to gather enough militiamen to unite and drive the British back to their ships in Long Island Sound. Sybil was able to reach home safe and sound and went on to live to the ripe old age of 77. In contrast, the British captured Paul Revere, who was over forty at the time of his ride and was not alone. No one wrote a poem about Sybil and her adventure that night. However the DAR has erected a statue in Washington, D.C. in her honor. So, on July 4th, as we gather to admire the fireworks lighting up the sky, we might remember Sybil and her midnight ride. She could have used the illumination. For further information on Sybil and other women of the Revolutionary War period, try this website: www.womenshistory.com

27. Women Pirates – August, 2006 Captain Jack Sparrow (AKA Johnny Depp) is not the only notable pirate. Many women were leaders in this profession. Here are just a few. You will have to look up the details. 1. Qi Sao (Seventh Elder Sister-in- Law – South China Sea, commanded a fleet of 20 ships.

By Pat Camareana page 16 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory 2. Grace O’Malley, a.k.a Granuaile, Grainne O’Malley – 1500’s, Atlantic, commanded three galleys and 200 men. 3. Elissa (“Dido”) – 470 B.C., Mediterranean, legendary founder of Carthage. 4. Princess Rusla – Norwegian Viking 5. Gertrude Imogene Stubbs – Alias “Gunpowder Gertie, the pirate Queen of the Kootenays”, 1898-1903, Kootenay Lake and river system of British Columbia, Canada 6. Huang P”ei-mei – 1937-1950’s, leader of 50,000 pirates.

28. The Miner’s Angel – September, 2006 Within the old Ross Bay Cemetary in Victoria, BC, stands a life-sized marble angel, often decorated with flowers and visited by ghosts on early summer evenings. So says the docent who takes us on a historical evening tour. Nearby, beneath a holly tree symbolic of health, peace, and goodwill, lies another angel…the “miner’s angel”…Nellie Cashman. Nellie, an immigrant from Cork, Ireland, was present when exciting events were happening in the rough and ready days of western American mining boomtowns in Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, British Columbia, the Yukon, and Alaska during the second half of the 19th century. As a teenage elevator operator in Washington, D. C. during the Civil War, Nellie was supposedly advised by U. S. Grant to go west to seek her fortune. This she did, crossing the Isthmus of Panama by donkey arriving in San Francisco in the late 1860s. She then spent many years as a businesswoman and miner in the silver and gold mining areas, amassing mining claims as she went. Always a friend to less fortunate miners, she provided food and grubstakes to the down and out and raised funds to establish hospitals and schools on the frontier. Once during a labor dispute in Tombstone, Arizona, this diminutive dark haired Irish woman drove her buggy through a mob to rescue a local mine owner about to be kidnapped. Wherever she traveled, she involved herself in local charities even while raising her sister’s five children. Once, while living in the Yukon, she organized a rescue party to aid scurvy ridden miners. She herself drove a dog sled through deep snow carrying over 1500 lbs. of supplies across the frozen Arctic. She arrived in time to nurse more than one hundred sick miners back to health. Rubbing shoulders with the likes of Jack London, Robert Service, and Joaquin Miller, she reportedly still drove a dog sled out of Fairbanks, Alaska across the tundra well into her seventies. Giving up her wanderlust and hospital and school fundraising, she settled in Victoria in 1923 where she had often waited out the Arctic winters. Truly this gutsy woman was a miner’s angel. For more information on Nellie Chapman, try these websites: www.irish.society.com or www.americanWesternMagazine.com.

29. Sarah’s House For Restless Spirits – October, 2006 It’s almost Halloween…the traditional time for the telling of ghostly tales of unexplained phenomena. If you relish inviting spooky shivers to race up your spine, a visit to Sarah Winchester’s unusual 160-room mansion in San Jose might fill the bill. Sarah actually invited restless spirits to take up residence. The untimely deaths of her husband and their infant daughter Annie left Sarah deeply despondent and reclusive. She also found herself incredibly wealthy.

By Pat Camareana page 17 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory A medium convinced her that the spirits of all those killed by the Winchester repeating rifles manufactured by her husband’s company were taking revenge on her family. The restless spirits would haunt her for the rest of her life. To counteract the curse, Sarah was advised to purchase a house and constantly build on to it. This she did for the next 38 years hoping to earn eternal life. She kept a crew of contractors busy day and night eventually adding a maze of rooms some with stairs leading nowhere, 2000 doors … some without rooms, upside down posts, thousands of windows with thirteen panes…one window set into the floor. Eighty-four years after her death, her three story gabled residence is a national historic site open daily. This month there are special Halloween flashlight tours…just the ticket for rousing frisky specters. Many visitors to Sarah Winchester’s bizarre home swear to have seen strange lights, heard mysterious footsteps, felt unexplained gusts of icy cold air, and smelled unseen food cooking. So, if you feel like a restless spirit this month or would like to meet some, Sarah Winchester’s San Jose home might be the site for a fun fright. For more information, try these websites: www.aboutFamousPeople.com, www.prairieGhosts.com, or www.ghostInMySuitcase.com. BOOOOOOOOO!!!

30. Lemonade from Lemons – November, 2006 Traditionally in cultures world wide, women have earned the reputation as a source of inspiration and support for one another. AAUW’s Sister to Sister program, the Silver Jubilee Fund, EF and LAF, and Tech Trek programs give evidence of this concept today close to home. The concept of women connecting with each other in creative ways reinforces cultural continuity and community spirit. Everyone benefits. In an isolated pocket of rural Alabama along the Alabama River, the women of Gee’s Bend have been there for each other in a similar fashion. The descendants of slaves and tenant farmers, these women have passed on their knowledge of quilt making for six generations. Starting from a practical need for warmth and using whatever materials were available, the Gee’s Bend women have been meeting in the evenings after long hard days of agricultural work and domestic chores. They pass on memories, songs, and stories while they piece together quilts. The results of their collaborative labors can be seen currently at the de Young Muslim along with vintage photos of their rural community. The forty quilts on display give visions of a different time and place. Most are strip quilted of simple free hand designs. Some pieces are colorful. Some are monochromatic. As simple lemons can be transformed into delicious lemonade, polyester suits, feed sacks, mattress ticking, and denim work pants have been transformed into engaging works of art. The Whitney Museum in NYC and the Houston Fine Arts Museum have also hosted the display this year. We are fortunate to be able to see the quilts right here in our city. Changes are coming to Gee’s Bend. The ferry service across the Alabama River has recently been reinstated. It had been cut off over 40 years ago during the civil rights era in the effort to hamper economic growth and to deter voter registration. Gee’s Bend will be less isolated. How this closer connection with the bigger world will effect the community is anybody’s guess. Hopefully the long tradition of inspired creativity among the quilters will endure. For more information try these websites: www.prairieBluff.com or www.thinker.org.

By Pat Camareana page 18 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory 31. Fantastic Achievements of a Self Made Woman – December, 2006 If the Louvre is closed and the waiting lines at the Eiffel Tower are too daunting, a visit to Nelie’s mansion near the Arc d’Triomphe will take your breath away. What was once a home in Paris more than one hundred years ago is now the talk of the international art world. Imagine an artistic journey through the heart of the Italian Renaissance, 18th century French masterpieces, and works by the Flemish masters–all housed in a splendid private mansion built during the Second Empire. Nelie was the mastermind with the blank checkbook. Nelie Jacquemet was a young portrait artist trained in Paris and Rome when she met Edouard Andre, the wealthy descendent of a long line of bankers and businessmen. Nelie was raised as the daughter of a simple steward on a country estate. The childless countess recognized Nelie’s artistic abilities and supplied the financial means for Nelie’s art training. She had begun earning her own way at nineteen illustrating magazines and doing society portraits. She had a flourishing career of her own when she was called upon to paint Edouard’s portrait. Edouard was a bit of a rogue whose family had been hoping that he would settle down and marry a rich socialite. Nelie was almost forty when Edouard finally proposed. He was already an avid art collector. They turned out to be kindred spirits. Nelie must have appreciated Edouard’s blank check status in allowing them to travel all over Europe. Her support proved decisive and essential in guiding the staggering amount of purchases of artistic masterpieces, often out-bidding the French government. The careful placement of their treasures in the mansion went on for many years continuing long after Edouard’s death. Nelie bequeathed the mansion and its contents to the Institute of France on the condition it would use them to found a public museum. Today’s display, recently restored, reflects the arrangement decided upon by Nelie. The musee forms a fitting tribute to her love of art which, uniquely, involves presenting her magnificent residence as much as the works of art within. For more information, try these web sites: www.musee-jacquemart-andre and www.culturedtraveler.com.

32. The Paper Bag Lady – January, 2007 Our Tech Trek applicants will soon be amazing us with their accomplishments again this year as we begin to interview them for the summer program 2007. The lucky few will spend a wonderful summer week at a local university honing their math and science skills and getting a glimpse of what the future might hold for them as young women. Mattie Knight would have been a great Tech Trek candidate had there been such a program in the 1830s. Growing up in New England with two older brothers, she loved to design kites and sleds. By the age of twelve, in a different time and place, she had begun working in a cotton mill. She began making sketches for improvements for the loom machinery after seeing many accidents to workers when thread shuttles flew off the looms causing severe injuries. Mattie devised a safe covered shuttle, which is still in current use. Mattie was a victim of the gender discrimination of the Victorian age. The common square bottomed paper bag that we take for granted today was one of Mattie’s inventions. However, it took many years for her to take credit and get any royalties.

By Pat Camareana page 19 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory A co-worker stole her idea and attempted to patent it himself. He could not believe that a woman could be able to design such an invention. Mattie was finally awarded the patent after a protracted lawsuit. People began to call her the “Lady Edison”. With a partner, she established the Eastern Paper Bag Co. She eventually managed to acquire twenty- two patents for domestic devices, rotary engines, and shoe making machinery. One of her box making machines can be seen in the Smithsonian. Never becoming wealthy, Mattie left this planet with $300 in her bank account just as the women’s suffrage movement was almost a reality. Two children’s books about Mattie Knight are available at Amazon.com. Mattie’s story can be an inspiration for what can be accomplished with perseverance. Mattie took an active stance against restrictive gender roles in an age when women’s rights were barely a glimmer on the horizon. Books: Mattie Knight-Girl Inventor by Brill (2001) and Marvelous Mattie by McCully (2006) For more information on Mattie Knight, try this website: www.mit.edu/invent.

33. California's Literary Mother – March, 2007 Born this Women's History month but 166 years ago, Josephina Smith's life got off to a rocky start. However, she overcame many difficulties managing to leave her mark on local Bay Area literary culture even today. As a small child Josephina came to California with her mother, traveling in a wagon train guided by James Beckworth the famous mountain man and adventurer. Her mother was fleeing a polygamous marriage to the brother of Mormon prophet Joseph Smith. After a brief failed marriage and the death of her child, Josephina relocated to the Bay Area to continue her career in journalism. She took a position as the first librarian at the Oakland Free Library. Her poetry writing led her into a literary circle including such writers as Jack London, George Sterling, and Bret Harte. She became a mentor to emerging writers and held frequent readings and discussions at her San Francisco home on Telegraph Hill. Bad luck struck again when her books and papers were all destroyed as her home went up in flames in the 1906 fire. Ever resilient, Josephina became librarian at the Mechanics Library and the Bohemian Club, the latter organization making her their first woman member. A literary circle began to meet regularly at her new house. In 1915, she was named the first poet laureate of California. When she died in 1928, the state legislature adjourned in her memory. Subsequently they named a Sierra mountain peak near Beckworth Pass in her honor. Today, a brisk uphill hike to Pioneer Park (Vallejo and Taylor) on Telegraph Hill will bring you to a great San Francisco viewpoint. Here in the heart of the City is a plaque honoring Josephina and her influence on California literature. Annually UC undergrads compete for a poetry prize in her name. Today, this influential woman is better known by the name of Ina Coolbrith, the name she took to escape detection after fleeing Utah as a child. The Ina Coolbrith Circle still meets most months for poetry readings and guest speakers. Her literary mentorship lives on. For more information on Ina Coolbrith, try these websites: www.yelp.com, www.baseportal.com and www.coolpoetry.org.

34. Long Ago and Far Away – April, 2007 Long ago and far away (well, several decades ago), a Moscow trained woman architect returned to her homeland, Vietnam. After a professional stint in Hanoi, she relocated to the pine forested central

By Pat Camareana page 20 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory mountains, settling in the city of Dalat which had long been a holiday R and R destination for the French, American, North and South Vietnamese military personnel. In this city of eternal spring and temperate climes, Dr. Dang Viet Nga built her fantasy residence. From a distance, her controversial gray concrete house (now a guest house/hotel) looks like something out of one of Grimm’s fairy tales. Begun in the early 1990s, no rooms are angular, no windows are square. The whole structure springs from a tree house-like base. Giraffe heads, spider webs, and towering fish heads greet those visitors who pay an approximately 33 cents entry fee to walk through the twisting tunneled passages and climb the numerous narrow staircases. to marvel at her creatively designed animal themed rooms with such names as the ant room or the bear room. One room had a fireplace in the shape of an egg with a huge eagle hovering overhead. Cozy drapery lined alcove beds with ceiling mirrors allow overnighters to peer out at the stars after sunset. No AC, no phones, or TVs spoil the dreamlike mood. Dr. Dang Viet Nga’s house is still a work in progress with more surprises to be added. The city of Dalat is finally close to deciding to award her an “ownership certification” after thirteen years of thinking about it. A night in the Hang Nga house, as it is sometimes called, could be a true adventure for the hardy traveler. One might wonder what her father would make of her dream house. (He was the first president of the reunited Vietnam in the 1980s and a friend of Ho Chi Minh and Fidel Castro back in the days of pre-capitalistic Vietnam.) Eye-candy or eyesore, it is all in the eyes of the beholder. For more information and pictures, consider these websites: www.transitionsAbroad.com or www.thanhNienNews.com.

35. A Rare and Forceful Woman – May, 2007 Should Annie have lived in a different century, her accomplishments would not have attracted that much attention. However, as it was, she moved way ahead of her time as a rebellious, determined businesswoman never afraid of a challenge. Born of a long-time southern plantation family, she became involved in Confederate conspiracies. Imprisoned and sentenced to death, she was almost shot. She had been accused of smuggling supplies and messages to the Confederacy during the Civil War. Too stubborn to involve other people, she refused to confess. After the intervention of a higherranking officer, she was pardoned, freed, and shipped off to Texas where she married and moved to San Francisco. In the 1870s, her successful artificial flower business was destroyed in one of the frequent city fires. She lost everything. Soon after, her husband died. Annie, a new widow and young mother moved to the southern mining area of California. After some successful mining ventures, she remarried. Her new husband was a wealthy relative of the Vanderbilt family. Well into her fifties, she decided to go into the railroad business. She founded the Women's Railroad, raised money and sold stock with the support of many well off women including Phoebe Apperson Hearst. Annie's company was called the Women's Railroad due to the predominately woman run management and financial backers of this railroad which planned to run from Stockton to the Sonora area. Unfortunately legal tie-ups, construction delays, and competition from the Sierra Railroad backed by one of the Crocker family eventually put an end to Annie’s courageous efforts. Never one to back down, Annie continued to stand up for herself, sometimes actually getting arrested for defending her property until her death in late 1906. Annie would be amazed at the progress made by contemporary women, but never satisfied that enough was enough. Annie Klein Rikert – always moving forward.

By Pat Camareana page 21 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory 36. Love At First Sight – June, 2007 Jack was instantly smitten with the vivacious young woman he had been admiring from across the room. Here was the girl of his dreams. As an eligible bachelor and well known army captain, he was often called upon to attend Washington social gatherings during his temporary assignment there. As fate would have it, life as he knew it was about to change. Athletic Frances, a Wellesley graduate, was no stranger to Washington society. She was the daughter of Wyoming’s first state governor and one of its first United States senators. Having grown up on a ranch near Cheyenne, she was a first-rate swimmer and horsewoman. Frances later wrote in her journal that she and Jack, who was twenty years her senior, “danced every dance but one” that night and that she had “lost her heart irretrievably”. A year later, they were married. Frances traveled with Jack to many of his overseas assignments. Several of their four children were born while he was on duty in the Philippines or in Japan. They settled here in the San Francisco Presidio when Jack, now a general, became the commander of the eighth Infantry Brigade. Frances would often take the children and walk down to the bay shore to explore the wonders of the 1915 World’s Fair. Unfortunately Frances and Jack’s life together was to end tragically when she was about thirty-five. During the night, while a former college classmate and her children were staying in her house, a fire broke out started by a glowing cinder left smoldering unnoticed on the highly polished wooden floor. Jack was away pursuing Pancho Villa and his men on the Texas- Mexico border. The Presidio’s volunteer firemen rescued her houseguest and children not realizing that Frances and the children were still inside. Frances and the three little girls were later found dead of smoke inhalation in one of the upstairs bedrooms, the son having been rescued by Jack’s long-time black orderly. Although devastated by his loss, Jack managed to go on with his military career alone, never remarrying. Today, at the south end of the main parade grounds in the Presidio, there is a picture plaque located on the spot where Frances and Jack’s house once stood. Historically, Jack is remembered as the very able commander of the American Expeditionary Forces in WWI. Jack’s full name was John J. Pershing or “Black Jack.” Frances was his true love. For more information on Frances and Jack Pershing, try this website: www.nps.gov.

37. Against The Tides – July, 2007 Each day Anastasia Scott had to take an unusual route to school in San Francisco. In the early 1930s, most other city kids walked or biked. Along with the other children of the lighthouse keepers or military men stationed on Alcatraz Island at that time, ferryboats carried Anastasia over the treacherous windy wan Francisco Bay to school in the City. This was in the days before Alcatraz became a federal prison. However, the idea was being considered, much to the dismay of many City residents. Red-haired Anastasia was an athletic young woman who had won numerous medals for her swimming skills with the Western Woman's Club making her army quartermaster father proud. A few months after graduating from Galileo High School, Anastasia jumped off the Alcatraz dock a few hours after sun up, and successfully swam to the Dolphin Club landing by Aquatic Park in 43 minutes, making her the first woman, on record, to make the crossing. Her parents had been told that she was going fishing, however, she had been considering this swim for many months just waiting for the tide and weather conditions to be right. Two other young women also made the swim shortly after in the 58-62 degree water. On the same day another young woman swam from shore to the island then around it in 57 minutes. Nowadays, the Alcatraz Invitational swim is done by dozens of swimmers, some in wetsuits, every finisher

By Pat Camareana page 22 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory receiving a t-shirt and a hot lunch. Anastasia got her picture in the paper. Many City residents used Anastasia's accomplishment for ammunition as they protested the potential danger of having the worst criminals of the Depression-era crime wave so close to the City. The campaign against the new prison failed. By the following summer, Anastasia, her family, and all the military kids had departed. The children of these former island residents still get together, for those early experiences greatly influenced their adult lives. For more information, try these websites: www.alcatrazhistory.com or www.alcatrazalumni.org.

38. Not Your Typical Shrinking Viking (or, what I learned while sailing the Norwegian fjords) – August, 2007 Viking women were quite powerful personages in their 9th century society. Perhaps because the men were off at sea for long periods of time, Viking women held complete sway over household matters and supervised both the free servants and the many slaves. According to Viking texts, women occasionally traveled with their men on raids, getting involved in the battles, and shared in the spoils. In their daily lives, they were expert weavers, making not only the family clothes, but also the huge sails that drove the Viking long ships. Norway has only been an independent country for a little over one hundred years now. Women gained the vote soon after that …about ten years before our country passed the 19th amendment. The Equal Opportunities Act of 1978 established a series of principles aiming to improve the balance of men and women in the workplace. As a result, women enthusiastically entered the political ring in large numbers. Today legally half of the national parliament of Norway must be women. Pictures of women cultural figures appear on two of the paper currencies. Two Norwegian women have achieved word wide recognition in recent years. Gro Harlem Brundtland is president emeritus of the World Heath Organization (WHO). Liv Arnesen became the first lone woman to reach the South Pole in 1994. The influence of Viking heritage in action today?

39. Who was Lou? (or, all this I learned while waiting for an elevator) – September, 2007 Born into a family who encouraged not only a love of the outdoors but also of art and music, Lou grew up to become a woman of varied interests. She was undaunted by the prospect of being the sole woman geology student at Stanford in the 1890s. After marrying a fellow Stanford graduate, she became a world traveler. Her husband’s engineering projects took them worldwide. Her older son had been around the world three times before he was four. Her husband’s postings to Asia and Europe in the early 1900s gave her many opportunities to pitch in and devote her life to public service. Becoming president of the Girl Scouts of the USA gave this quiet activist a chance to promote her love of the outdoors. In 1921, her family moved to Washington when her husband, Herbert, became Secretary of Commerce. In 1929, he became president of the United States. Lou was a true innovator, social activist, and a worthy prelude to the far better known Eleanor Roosevelt. First Ladies would never be viewed the same. Wrongly remembered as a standpatter, the philanthropic Lou was the first to speak on the radio and gave regular interviews. All this I learned by waiting for the elevator in the Hoover Tower at Stanford University.

By Pat Camareana page 23 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory There are two small rooms adjacent to the elevator. One is devoted to Lou Henry and the other to her better known husband, Herbert Hoover. Some of her Chinese Ch’iang porcelains and her rock pick reside there. Give them a visit sometime. For more information on Lou Henry Hoover try these websites: www.nps.gov, www.whitehouse.gov, or www.hoover.archives.gov.

40. A Role Model of Usefulness – October, 2007 Want something done? Ask a busy person. So the saying goes. Each of us in our own way, can be a contributing citizen in some area of our lives whether it be volunteering locally for our children’s schools or teams, in our local AAUW branch projects like Tech Trek or the Sister-to-Sister program, political organizations, church groups, ...the list is endless. October 11 is the 123rd birthday of Anna whose long life was given over to being an agent of social change both locally and globally. She once said that if asked what was the best thing one might expect in life, she would answer : “the privilege of being useful”. Life had not started out rosy for Anna. The shy offspring of privileged parents with entrenched colonial ties, she was ignored by her distant mother who called her “Granny” because she was so plain and solemn. Her alcoholic father often let her down. It was while studying in England that teen aged Anna’s life was changed by a liberal, socially aware French headmistress, who took an interest in the lonely girl. Anna returned home with a strong life long interest in social service and human rights such as improving working conditions for women, and voting opportunities for all. By means of her writing and radio show, she was able to bring attention to human rights abuses worldwide. She served as a member of the United States delegation to the United Nations after WWII and later chaired the Commission on the Status of Women. As “first lady” she was the eyes and ears of her disabled husband, Franklin. By now, it must be obvious that Anna is better known to us today by her middle name of Eleanor… Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of FDR. She was an extraordinarily influential person in her own right… an inspiration to all busy people, Eleanor had indeed become that useful person she aspired to. Happy birthday, Anna Eleanor. For more information, try these websites: www.lexisNexis.com/academic/guide or www.keirsey.com/ personality.

41. A good spy doesn’t get caught – November, 2007 “A good spy doesn’t get caught,” says the main character in the 1996 youth novel Harriet the Spy. The Harriet in this story, was neither aware nor able to follow this advice during the Civil War way back in the 1860s. Yet, for a short time, she was a minor Union spy and played a small part in our local history as well. Harriet did indeed get caught and almost hanged! Harriet, a young theater performer from New Orleans, was far away from her young children and had recently become a widow. She was forced to leave her children with in-laws as her husband had died of a war related illness. While on the road with a theater company in 1863, she was paid, on a dare, to raise a toast to Confederate President Jefferson Davis after a theater performance in Louisville, Kentucky. Subsequently fired by the theater company, she offered her services to the Union as a spy. Smoozing with the Confederates, she managed to conceal battle plans and drawings in her shoes. Although caught and sentenced to hang, she escaped when the Confederates abruptly left town to avoid

By Pat Camareana page 24 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory invading Union troops. After fleeing south, disguised as a soldier, she was reportedly later given an honorary commission as a major by President Lincoln. Her later years included a stint as a performer with P. T. Barnum and as the wife of a sheriff in Arizona. She finished her years in poverty in San Francisco as a charwoman and seamstress living off of a pension from her first husband. This former spy on a dare is buried in the Presidio Cemetery as simply Pauline C. Fryer, Union spy, (her theatrical name). There is signage-honoring Pauline (formerly Harriet Wood) at the entrance to the National Cemetery. Walking through this old cemetery is a nice hike. On a few Tuesdays a month there is a docent tour of the cemetery. Harriet’s grave along with the story of the many Buffalo soldiers buried there would be featured. For more information on Pauline C. Fryer see: www.civilWarNews.com, www.nps.gov, www.aboutFamousPeople.com.

42. The Mystery of Mileva – December, 2007 On a darkened street corner in Novi Sad, Serbia, stands Mileva's childhood home. The now empty house with its darkened windows mirrors the ongoing controversy concerning Mileva's recognized place in the history of women's contributions to the advancement of science in the last century. Mileva's father, recognizing her talents in mathematics and physics, had sent her to Zurich for an advanced education, there being no Serbian universities that admitted women seeking advanced mathematical degrees. At the turn of the twentieth century, regional wars made traveling home difficult for the budding physicist. Albert, another talented fellow student, became her friend. They worked and studied together, and were later married over the objections of his German family. In some correspondence with fellow mathematicians, Albert wrote of her as his equal and as being as strong and independent as he. The amount of their collaboration and her influence on the groundbreaking theories, which he published during the years of their marriage, is still a matter of controversy, especially after the 1987 publication of previously unknown letters between Mileva and Albert. Mileva's fortunes took a different turn after their divorce in 1919. Albert became world famous after the publication of his theory of relativity and the subsequent receiving of a Nobel Prize in 1921. Albert gave all the prize money to Mileva as a condition of their divorce. Mileva returned from time to time to Serbia to care for family members but spent the majority of her life alone in Switzerland, in obscurity and in financial difficulties, caring for Albert's son who suffered from schizophrenia. Mileva never was able to finish her scientific degrees nor successfully battle the institutional prejudice against the education of women as scientists. Madame Curie's work was just beginning to challenge public opinions concerning the potential value of women as trained scientists. Balancing the demands of professional careers and family life is still a challenge for women. The sticky problem of who gets credit in scientific collaborations still continues. Although several of Albert Einstein's early published papers bear both of their names, there may never be any agreement in the scientific community concerning the value of Mileva Maric-Einstein's contributions to Albert Einstein’s work whether as a collaborator, mentor, or a sounding board. For more information on Mileva Maric, see the following websites: www.teslaSociety.com, www.pbs.org/opb, www.findaGrave.com.

By Pat Camareana page 25 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory 43. A One of a Kind Student – January, 2008 Twice during the Second World War, Jean was the only math student in her Missouri university class. Coming from a family of math lovers, to her, math was a game rather than a serious subject. Her strong abilities were not considered remarkable by her parents nor ever discouraged. As the war was ending, she was recruited to work for Army Ordinance at Aberdeen Proving Ground but at a sub-professional rating which was all that women were given at the time. Shortly after, at the "huge" annual salary of $2,000, she was among a small group of employees selected to learn to program a new computing machine. Called ENIAC, this device was the first stored program computer to be developed in the United States. It was eighty feet long. At first it was very difficult to learn to program ENIAC since there were no manuals and no teachers. Always eager for challenges, Jean hung in there and persevered, staying in the computer field for her entire career. Her adventurous attitude led her to seize the many opportunities for growth and development in her professional life as the computer industry took off and revolutionized modern life. Today Jean Bartik has a museum in her name at Northwest Missouri State University and has been inducted into the International Hall of Fame for women in technology. Nowadays, it is unlikely that any college girl will find herself to be the only student in college math classes. Huge societal changes and the influence of pioneers such as Jean Bartik have made it possible for today's girls to dream big. AAUW plays its part with our wonderful Tech Trek program that encourages young girls to consider math and science careers. Soon the process begins in our branch to select the middle school girls to attend the summer Tech Trek week. Get involved! Be part of the fun of meeting and choosing these potential scientists and mathematicians. Locally, at the Computer Museum in Mountain View, ENIAC and his younger siblings can be seen among the large collection of computers spanning the past half-century. Jean Bartik and a few other women like her were there at the very beginning of this world changing industry. For more information, see these websites: www.inventors.about.com and www.computerhistory.org

44. Esther and the Business of Love– February, 2008 Valentine’s Day Feb. 14th has long been set aside for exchanges of love with sweethearts, family, and friends. Across the ages, writers and other artists have expressed their feelings of love in many poetic ways. “Life’s greatest happiness is to be convinced that we are loved” according to Victor Hugo. “Love is the only gold,” said Alfred Lord Tennyson. “Love is something eternal, the aspect may change but not the essence.” This quote expressed the sentiments of Vincent Van Gogh. Massachusetts born Esther Howland took these thoughts of her 19th century contemporaries and combined then with the long popular European idea of written valentines. It was in England that paper valentines first became popular. The first ones were hand painted and decorated with real lace and ribbons. After receiving her first English valentine in 1847, Esther began to import English paper lace and floral decorations and then make her own valentine cards, selling them through her father’s stationery business. She was pleasantly surprised by the public response to her creations and soon began making her own decorations and advertising in the local paper. A thriving business developed. Esther soon had to

By Pat Camareana page 26 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory upgrade her business by adding more assembly space and recruiting employees, initially from among her friends. She even published a book of verse for customers to use to personalize the greeting cards. Thus it was that Esther from Mt. Holyoke College became one of the first Americans to publish and sell valentines. By the late 1800s valentine cards had become factory produced. Today only Christmas cards surpass them in the volume of greeting cards sold in the US. The business of love has become gold. The aspect has changed, hopefully not the essence. Some interesting websites on this subject: www.emotionsCards.com, www.americanAntiquarian.org and www.americanHeritage.com.

45. Pathbreakers – March, 2008 Women’s History Month (WHM) gives us an opportunity to reflect on what is possible. To explore what was, what is, and what still might be. Nationwide, there will be many events to celebrate the often under reported achievements of women past and present whose accomplishments have enriched our planet in all facets of life. AAUW SF kicks off locally with the annual Herstory event March 8th. WHM traces its origin back to the first International Women’s Day in 1911. In 1987 Congress legally expanded the focus from a week to an entire month. The National Women’s History Project (NWHP) has its origins in Santa Rosa, Ca. where, in 1980 they started by leading a coalition to lobby Congress to make Women’s History Month a national event. Today this organization works as a clearinghouse providing information and training in multicultural women’s history. Each year NWHP chooses a theme. The theme for 2008 is visionary women in various forms of the visual arts. The names and contributions of this year’s twelve honorees can be seen on the NWHP website. One honoree with a local Bay Area connection is Native American Jane Quick-To-See-Smith. She has completed several collaborative public art works around the U.S. including an in-situ sculpture piece in San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Park. She has won many awards. The NWHP website has a great deal of interesting information about her work and that of the other honorees as well as a quiz to test your knowledge of women achievers. Here’s one of their questions also with a local connection: What woman is credited with helping free more than 2,000 Chinese women and children smuggled into San Francisco to be sold as slaves? Know the answer? If not, check the website below or wait for the answer in April’s Avanti. Check out the following websites: www.nwhp.com or www.SFHistoryEncyclopedia.com.

46. Twice Saved – April, 2008 April 18, 2008 will mark the 102nd anniversary of the Great Earthquake and Fire that destroyed or damaged a good part of San Francisco back in 1906. The locals were shaken out of bed soon after five in the morning. At Lotta’s Fountain on Market Street this year, a handful of history buffs will gather at the same time to commemorate that never-to-be-forgotten event. Less than a mile away in Chinatown on that fateful predawn morning, Donaldina Cameron and fifty sleeping Chinese and Japanese girls and children were rudely awakened to find chimneys from nearby buildings crashing on the roof of their Presbyterian Mission Home. For the previous ten years, Donaldina had been working with young girls there.

By Pat Camareana page 27 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory Through Donaldina’s efforts and others like her, young Asian girls, mostly from Canton who had been brought to San Francisco under false pretenses, could live safely and receive an education, thus escaping a life of slavery, prostitution, and most certainly, an early death. Donaldina, sometimes with the aid of the police, had become a master of finding girls hidden away by slave owners. She rescued them from a life of hard physical labor and maltreatment. Also, she sought to prevent their re-enslavement by means of legal ploys. On the morning of April 18, 1906, she again shepherded them safely to temporary quarters on Van Ness Avenue just ahead of the on-coming fire and smoke. She herself did not leave the scene until she had retrieved records that gave her guardianship rights. The building was later dynamited to forestall the spread of the fire. Donaldina was called “Lo Mo” (beloved mother) by the girls, but “Fahn Quai” (foreign or white devil) by the slave owners angry that she was depriving them of valuable property. For many more years, Donaldina continued educating the girls, giving lectures across the country to raise awareness of the evils of the slave trade, and jousting with the courts. The building at 920 Sacramento Street, built anew after the fire, is now named the Donaldina Cameron House to honor this New Zealand transplant. It is a family service organization serving the Asian community throughout the Bay Area. So on the morning of April 18th, as you rise to get your coffee or catch the Muni, give some thought to Donaldina who on this day long ago had once again rescued her young charges and kept them safe. Donaldina Cameron. www.SanFranciscoChinatown.com or www.SFHistoryEncyclopedia.com.

47. License to Paint – May, 2008 Mary Ann had her driver’s license. This fact, plus her natural artistic ability, led to her becoming the only woman member of the Highwaymen. Not the music group but the Florida landscape painters. This story tells how that happened. On the central east coast of Florida in the 1950s and 1960s employment opportunities for local African- Americans were pretty much limited to picking fruit or working in the packing houses. Looking for another career opportunity, a group of young men began to paint Florida rural landscapes and seascapes for quick roadside sales to passing motorists. Most of the twenty-plus people were self-taught; a well-known local artist mentored a few. Mary Ann was the only woman. Being that most paintings, especially the early ones, were sold out of the trunks of cars often door-to-door, Mary Ann’s driver’s license came in handy. The artists could drive around selling to banks, motels, and restaurants looking to fill up wall space. Over time Mary Ann became a skilled painter. Paintings were done up on upsom board, often with house paint, and framed with any inexpensive material available. Some painters collaborated on one painting; each specializing in a different aspect of the work, such as sky or waves. Once considered throwaway art and consigned to attics after awhile, these paintings were rediscovered in the 1990s and now demand thousands of dollars. Some of the Highwaymen including Mary Ann are still producing lovely scenes or the Florida that once was. People love the regional art of the Highwaymen even more today as the old Florida loses ground to the gated communities and manicured golf courses.

By Pat Camareana page 28 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory To learn more about the Highwaymen and Mary Ann Carroll and see examples of their work, try the following websites: www.upf.com/searchresult.asp?searchterm=highwaymen&searchtype=keyword or www.floridaHighwaymenPaintings.com.

48. This Granny was a “Crab” – June, 2008 This famous “granny” is regarded as crisp, tart, and versatile. Originally from France, she is popular for making apple pies, and even pickles. After immigrating to Australia more than 150 years ago she became more “cultivated” although considered to be quite “wild” by New Zealanders. Today she is commonly found world wide and year round in most supermarkets. Yes, this is a description of the green Granny Smith apple. However, once there was a real person responsible for the Granny Smith apple that we shoppers pop in our reusable grocery bags today. Maria Ann (Sherwood) Smith was the daughter of a Sussex, England farming family. After marrying and bearing eight children, she moved with her farmer husband, to New South Wales in the late 1830s when the English government was recruiting agricultural workers for the growing colony. After many years of working for others but saving money, Maria and her husband were finally able to acquire their own land. They began raising fruit trees that were already known to thrive locally. After experimenting with various types of apples, they found one type of French crab apple seeding from Tasmania growing remarkably well in a pile of discarded cuttings down by their creek. For many years Maria and her family continued to experiment with and propagate this “sport”. Not until after Maria’s death in 1870 that this obscure crab apple tree became commercially successful. Named by her children for their hardworking mother, this type of apple tree began to win horticultural show prizes in Australia. By the end of the 1800s, Granny Smith (the apple) was ready for export and cultivation worldwide. Today this former discarded seedling that made good is used for cooking, pickling, and just for eating out of hand. Maria Ann Smith would be proud of her namesake. Apple Records, the Beatles’ recording label reportedly used the Granny Smith apple in their logo way back in the ‘60s. How about that! For more information about Maria Ann Smith and the Granny Smith apple, see the following web sites: www.ryde.nsw.gov.au or www.orangePippin.com.

49. Madam Makes Good – July, 2008 A Jones Street condominium stands today on lower Nob Hill where Mabel’s elegant bordello once welcomed many famous and less famous San Franciscans in the 30s and 40s. Retiring from that risky business after WWII and many police raids, Mabel went on to become a successful Sausalito restaurateur. After six attempts she was finally elected to the Sausalito City Council and became vicepresident of the Chamber of Commerce. In 1976, she was re-elected with the most votes thus becoming Mayor at the tender age of 72. As a young girl of about 21 during the flapper era, she had come from Oregon and began a notorious and colorful career during a time of flux in San Francisco history. Many delegates to the initial United Nations meetings following the war were said to have been customers visiting her elegant “house”. By some local history buffs, Mabel’s contributions have been overstated and not worthy of note, however others including Herb Caen regarded Mabel Busby as a colorful character significant in our local history. It is said that Mabel changed her name to Sally Stanford after reading of the success of a local

By Pat Camareana page 29 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory wellknown football team. Both a TV movie and an autobiography memorialized Sally in the 60s and 70s. For more information on Sally Stanford see this website: www.theTigerIsDead.com.

50. She Who Would Be President – August, 2008 Presidential nominating conventions for the major political parties will soon be taking place in Colorado and Minneapolis. Smaller political parties will also announce their candidates for the 2008 election Any women on the tickets? Humm. In 1872, there actually was a woman presidential candidate albeit representing a marginal party. If Hilary had been nominated this summer, she would not have been the first woman presidential candidate. Victoria Claflin Woodhull can claim that distinction more than one hundred years ago. At the age of 34 Victoria ran for president on the Equal Rights Party ticket against General Ulysses Grant who was running for a second term. Her choice for vice presidential running mate was a well known African American man… a reluctant Frederick Douglas, himself a strong advocate of women's suffrage. Victoria had an interesting background. Raised in a family of fortunetellers and spiritualists, she became wealthy operating the first woman-owned Wall Street brokerage firm in the 1870s. A controversial journalist and lecturer, she contended that women's suffrage was covered by the 14th amendment and therefore there was no necessity for another constitutional amendment specifically extending voting privileges to women. She spent some time in jail for supposedly sending "obscene" materials through the mail advocating "free love". When all of the votes were counted, Victoria's party received a very meager percentage of the popular vote and no electoral votes at all. However if the election results had been in her favor, she could not have actually held the office of president as she would not reached the constitutionally prescribed minimum age of thirty-five by the inauguration date. Feeling that she had made her point and brought attention to her causes, she married again for the third time and shipped off to England where she faded from the political scene. However controversial, she was definitely one woman paving the way for women's greater involvement in political affairs. For more information on Victoria Clafin Woodhull, try the following websites: www.spartacus.schoolNet.co.uk, www.answers.com and www.infoPlease.com.

51. Women on the Line – September, 2008 Emma was job hunting. The year was 1878. There were few employment opportunities available for women other than teaching, secretarial, or household servant positions. However, a new occupation was opening and Emma jumped at the chance to apply. Emma M. Nutt became the first women telephone operator. Young teenage boys were found unsuitable after they proved to be too restless and argumentative with callers. Young unmarried women came to be viewed as more patient and calm. They were willing to work for low wages. The Boston Telephone Dispatch hired Emma in 1878. She and her fellow operators worked eleven-hour days, six days a week, holidays and nights included. Seven dollars was a good weekly wage by 1900. Rural operators used very long cords so they could work from their homes and keep up on

By Pat Camareana page 30 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory chores between calls. Supervisors closely monitored city operators to prevent gossip and unnecessary conversations with callers. Any bathroom or water breaks required permission. Tardiness was punished by time spent in “punishment” rooms. Operators were also expected to provide information on local weather, news, and train arrivals. The first Labor Day was celebrated in 1882 in New York City. However there were no unions to protect these underappreciated women telephone workers until the years close to WW I. The first national trade union for women telephone operators originated in Boston. Bostonians, many of whom were of Irish working class origin themselves, as were the operators, wholeheartedly supported this women run union. Nowadays, for better or worse, Emma’s job position has been largely replaced by automated systems. However, Emma and her sister operators were truly pioneers in the burgeoning communications industry. They were an important component of the early American labor movement, which we celebrate for the 116th time this first weekend in September. For more information, check out these websites: www.quickfound.net, www.questia.com and www.massMovement.org.

52. Felipa’s Maps – October, 2008 When she married in 1479, the young bride presented a gift to her husband that turned out to be as valuable as the money from her wealthy Lisbon family. Felipa had inherited a large portfolio of hand drawn maps from her father. In the 15th century, accurate maps were considered to be valuable assets. Felipa’s father had died when she was still a child. He had been an explorer involved with the discovery of the Madeira Islands. Felipa’s new husband considered these charts of the winds and currents of the Portuguese possessions in the Atlantic to be a boon to his long-term career plans. Originally from Genoa he had been working as a cartographer when he met Felipa in Lisbon. After his ship sank in an offshore battle, he swam ashore to Lisbon and looked for work. His goal was to secure financing to outfit more ships and sail west toward Asia. This he attempted four times during the next score of years with varying amounts of success and but not with the results or fame and fortune he had hoped for. Dona Felipa did not live long enough to share all of her husband’s struggles sailing toward the new lands west of Europe. She died of consumption six years after her son Diego was born and six years before her husband first set foot in the New World. She was Dona Felipa Perestrello. Her better-known husband’s name was Christopher Columbus. Surely he appreciated undertaking his voyages with very reliable directions – at least at the beginning.

53. Sadie Sets the Pace – November, 2008 Back in the late 1930s a young hill country woman named Sadie captured the attention of the reading public. Country girls often married young during the economically depressed pre-war days. Unfortunately Sadie was not blessed with good looks. Her father, the town mayor, despaired of ever being able to marry her off. Finally he hit upon a brilliant idea. He decreed a special day in November when a foot race would be held in which unmarried women could chase the town bachelors. If caught before sunset, the young men

By Pat Camareana page 31 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory would have to marry their female captors sometimes with the not-so-subtle encouragement of the sheriff's shotgun. Now Sadie and her father were actually only characters in the vivid imagination of Al Capp, the wellknown cartoonist. His highly successful cartoon strip ran in national newspapers for more than forty years. However the idea of women taking the initiative with men became so popular that Mr. Capp kept the Sadie Hawkins Day race as an annual event in his cartoon series. High schools and colleges held races and dances to commemorate Sadie's race for many years, (occasionally even today) remembering Sadie, Lil Abner, Daisy Mae, and the other denizens of Dogpatch, USA. The social climate has changed a great deal since Sadie's first foot race but she helped launch a subtle change in our culture. For more information see the following websites: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadie_Hawkins, and www.lil- abner.com.

54. What Louise Saw – December, 2008 In 1851, as a young bride, Louise journeyed with her doctor husband Fayette, over the rough almost nonexistent roads to a small northern California mining camp that would be their home for more than a year. Men outnumbered women twelve to one in this turbulent society. In a series of twenty-three letters written to her adoptive sister Mollie back in Massachusetts, Louise, a wanna-be journalist, described in detail the daily life of the miners: the often harsh physical environment, and the challenges and changes faced by both men and women during the often frantic quest for gold. Later these letters were published in the short-lived Pioneer magazine. Still used today as a historical reference, Louise’s letters give readers an important insight into the changing roles for women that were fostered by the fluid social climate of the time. Traditional work roles were altered as the need arose. Women sold pies or ran hotels and rudimentary restaurants. Some earned a living as prostitutes or ran gambling houses. Some operated mule trains or stood for hours alongside the men in the icy streams panning for gold. The vital roles of these pioneer women helped to challenge traditional female roles and led to changes in state divorce laws. More lenient property rights developed. Louise’s observations were reputed to have been used by Brett Harte as inspiration for his story “The Luck of Roaring Camp”. Louise later divorced Fayette and stayed on in San Francisco to teach school for many years. Louise Clapp, better known today by her pen name “Dame Shirley” lived on to the ripe old age of 87 continuing to write and lecture commenting on the slowly changing social mindset given a jumpstart during the hectic less structured gold rush era. For more information on “Dame Shirley” and her writings see the following websites: www.historymatters.gmu.edu, www.cateweb.org/ca/authors, www.SFMuseum.org.

55. Patients Need Not Apply – January, 2009 In the late 19th century, it was difficult enough for a woman to struggle through medical school with all the prejudice encountered but even harder to attract patients to their medical offices. Women, as well as men, often preferred a male doctor who was generally considered to be more competent and reliable.

By Pat Camareana page 32 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory For a while it seemed that most trappers, miners, and emigrants would rather suffer and die than consult a woman doctor. Critics, including male doctors, believed that women (supposedly of a more delicate physical/psychological makeup) shouldn’t be in the profession at all. Dr. Helen MacKnight became one of the few strong-hearted, persevering women doctors in eastern California near Bishop in the 1890s. She had sprung from an east coast family torn apart by gold fever. Her father came west to search for gold leaving his family behind. Her mother succumbed to side effects of depression. Other close relatives died of typhoid leaving Nellie feeling helpless to aid them. Finally reunited with her father in California, she was wholeheartedly encouraged and supported in her desire to attend medical school at the Toland Hall School of Medicine in San Francisco. Her medical reputation grew after she moved back to Bishop to successfully oversee the care of her ailing stepmother. Soon her surgery was full. She met Dr. Guy Doyle during a consult. Their meeting led to a full partnership including marriage. From the very beginning Dr. Doyle thoroughly respected her as an equal. Together they provided the county with wonderful medical care for the next twenty years. Their daughter also followed in Nellie’s footsteps gaining a medical degree herself. Dr. Nellie spent the last thirty years of her career studying and practicing anesthesiology into her eighties. Nellie is a great example of the importance of believing in yourself and listening to your inner voice. Encouragement and self-confidence is everything. On our local branch level, Tech Trek is one way that we can support the budding aspirations of the future women doctors, scientists, and mathematicians in our community. Support Tech Trek and all the future Nellie MacKnights of the 21st century. One never knows the scope of one’s generosity.

56. On-line Discoveries – February, 2009 Did you know that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation recently funded an initiative with a national women's organization to improve post secondary education access and to boost college enrollment opportunities for low-income women, including young adult single parents, most of whom are women– many of whom are women of color? The Institute for Women's Policy Research–the receiver of these funds–will aid and advise in the analysis of educational practices at the national level. Did you know that according to preliminary CNN exit poll data, eight million more women than men voted for Obama in November 2008? 56% vs. 49% men. Did you know that Julia Butterfly Hill, an environmental activist, and Ann Hancock, the executive director of Climate Protection Campaign, are the two northern Californians nominated to be honored by the 2009 National History Project? One can go on-line to see their biographies along with several dozen other notable American women nominees. This year's theme is: Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet. Very much in tune with our new Washington administration goals. Do you know the story of the California woman who has been the vice-president and co-founder of the United Farm Workers? Have you read the story of the first California woman of Chinese descent to hold a statewide office in the U. S.? Did you know that the District of Columbia has the lowest wage/gender gap in the US? California is not even in the top ten. You can find out how other states rank also.

By Pat Camareana page 33 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory All of this information and lots more came from one or the other of these two web sites: www.iwpr.org or www.nwhp.org. Two of the above questions were left unanswered so you can explore for yourself.

57. White House Women … A Pop Quiz – March, 2009 A new US President usually means a new first lady as well. There have been many women to take on that challenging role over the past 200 plus years. Here is a little trivia quiz, which illustrates the varied backgrounds and interests that some of these individuals have brought with them to their demanding positions in Washington. The answers are later in this document. See how many names you can figure out without looking. A. These two women were young widows with children when they each married sons of Virginia, both of whom would soon become two of our first five presidents. B. This poised Pennsylvania woman was considered “first lady” but was not the president’s wife. She called him “Nunc”. He remained a bachelor. C. This wartime first lady has been described as a leading advocate of human rights in Burma. She traveled there to bring attention to refugee abuses. D. Before becoming first lady, this woman lived in Manila while her husband was in charge of the American civil government. She is responsible for requesting the planting of the much admired cherry trees in the D.C. Tidal Basin. E. A sheltered semi-invalid, she moved into the White House plagued by epileptic seizures. Although frail, she outlived her assassinated husband. F. Prior to her years in the White House, she accompanied her soldier husband to often-remote military forts. During the Civil War she joined him as near to the battlefields as possible whenever she could. G. This first lady attended Harvard and Princeton. After securing her law degree, she pursued her interests in community service, volunt e e r i sm, and urban development. For more information and/or bits of trivia about our American first ladies especially during Women's History month, try this website: www.whitehouse.gov.

58. The Lady in the Tricorn Hat – April, 2009 Born in April of 1882, Frances was a Boston Brahmin reformer. Brisk and articulate, she was a born instructor who spent most of her career in the public sector influencing the lives of most Americans in her various roles, first on the state level and then in Washington lobbying for better working hours and conditions for all citizens. After being head of the New York state consumers league, she came to work in our nation's capital to help write New Deal legislation under FDR, especially the Social Security Act of 1935. She remained there to become the first woman Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945, years of economic stress not unlike the present time. Later Frances was asked by President Truman to be Civil Service commissioner until 1952. Witty and with an urge to educate, she stayed active as a teacher and lecturer until her death in 1965. This wearer of the tricorn hat was Frances Perkins… a woman unafraid of successfully working in governmental areas then dominated by men. Hers was a career that had life-changing effects on most Americans. For more information on Frances Perkins try these websites: www.ssa.gov or www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USARperkins.htm.

By Pat Camareana page 34 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory 59. A Mother’s Day Myth – May, 2009 Here we are in May again. Mother’s Day looms near, at least in the US, since the turn of the 20th century, thanks to Anna Jarvis. There is Mother Jones, Mother Ma Cree, and of course, Mother Goose, whose birthday is in May. May is the birthday of Mary Goose of Boston. Take a walk on the red brick Freedom Trail on downtown Tremont Street and into the Granary Burying Ground which is the third oldest cemetery and there is the tombstone of Mary Goose alongside such other early American notables such as Crispus Attucks, Samuel Adams, John Adams, and members of the Benjamin Franklin family. Mrs. Goose was the first wife of Issac Goose. She has been called, in error, the real Mother Goose but the fairy tales which preceded her, originated in England and France in the 1600s. Mrs. Goose was the wife of Issac Goose. She was an enthusiastic grandmother and storyteller with a large knowledge of nursery rhymes, but reportedly, not a good singing voice. Her son-in-law, who was a printer, published her stories to hopefully subdue her behavior. This was back before George Washington was a boy and before the European versions of the nursery rhymes were published in English in the United States. There is no known copy of her melodies and rhymes in existence. But the myth persists that Mother Goose stories originated from Boston from Mary’s published stories. The rhymes have been rewritten and reinterpreted over the years. Whatever the truth, these stories still remain popular today and are part of our heritage. These tales are still told word wide with art, audio, and education website activities available in many languages. Happy Mother’s Day to all!! www.findAGrave.com www.celebrateBoston.com.

60. Mouse Eyebrows Anyone? – July, 2009 Imagine that your morning routine goes something like this: You put on your many layers of clothes over your nightgown. No opportunity to shower or take a bath…too unhealthy! You decide not to brush your teeth, as the few that remain are not yet black and fuzzy. You have closely shaved your eyebrows after taking off your tightly wound wrinkle band from around your forehead. Then you apply your gummed mouse skin eyebrows and inserted cheek plumpers made of rounded cork to replace your lost teeth and give your cheeks a proper contour. Then you apply heavy lead based white powder followed by cheek rouge made from red cochineal beetles. Face patches come next, which are currently the rage to advertise your social or political mood but also to conceal blemishes. Being a “straight laced” lady you have already donned your French corset to give the illusion of a tiny waist and good breeding. You straighten your hot uncomfortable wool wig to cover your partly shaved head. Instead of trying to look slender you might slip on your false hips to accent your “small” waist. You might layer them under your taffeta dress liner, which helps to fend off fleas or lice. Prior to leaving the house you choose a facemask that would be held in your teeth, if you still have any left, or in your hand. What!!…no blow dryers, no sunscreen, no sports bras? Welcome to the 18th century and the life of a colonial woman. Life was even more of an adventure after you got dressed. As in England, women in the original thirteen U.S. colonies were in part viewed as chattel and often had no individual legal rights. It is said however in contrast, that early feminism began in the American colonies. In many instances, women had opportuneities to fill roles normally reserved for men. Quaker women had almost all of the same rights as Quaker men. The lack of established social and religious institutions and the physical demands of the Colonial lifestyle accounted for these opportunities. Some Colonial women owned property in their own right and acted as lawyers in courts.

By Pat Camareana page 35 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory Especially in small towns, women of the 18th century served as teachers, doctors, ministers, innkeepers, singers, seamstresses, and writers. Two examples are Anne Dudley Bradstreet; the first published female American poet and Anne Marbury Hutchinson who fought for freedom of religion. In closing, take your unshaved head and your nonplumped cheeks out to enjoy a wonderful 4th of July. Don’t forget the sunscreen and your electric toothbrush. Colonial women were part of the process moving all of us to where we are today. For more information on the lives and lifestyles of Colonial women, see these websites: www.hoover.archives.gov or www.history.org.

61. Lurline’s Hidden Treasure – August, 2009 Tucked away at the foot of the Crystal Springs Lakes outside of Woodside, lies Lurline’s wonderful old estate whose ambience is evocative of a F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. Renown for its fabulous gardens even more than its 43 room mansion, today Filoli is no longer Lurline’s private residence but a National Historic Trust site, open, for a nominal fee, to us all. Local shipping heiress, Lurline Matson Roth lived a long and eventful life. Her Swedish born father founded the Matson Shipping Line, which carried cargo and early tourists to Hawaii. Lurline was named for one of these popular ships. Always very adventurous, Lurline took her first air flight with Amelia Earhart. Always a great horsewoman, she showed award winning trotting ponies raised on her Woodside Why Worry Farm. Years later, she and her son bought the rundown Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory in San Francisco and developed it into a grand tourist attraction of shops and restaurants in the 1960s. In the 1930s, the Filoli property, built by the Bourn family in 1915, was purchased and enhanced by Lurline and her husband William Roth for use as their country family home. An avid gardener, she kept detailed records of everything planted in the extensive gardens. Don’t think “botanical garden”, think of a walk into a Great Gatsby scene. The house, said to be a replica of an Irish estate, sits in the shadow of the spectacular surrounding gardens. Filoli has been the backdrop for movies and the old TV series “Dynasty”. The Joy Luck Club and the Wedding Planner are just two of the movies that filmed at Filoli. Lurline herself lived into her nineties still enjoying her visits to Filoli and to the opera. It is likely that she would enjoy attending the jazz concerts held here each summer and would be grateful to the army of dedicated volunteers who keep the house and gardens in excellent order. A visit to Filoli is a great escape and a step back in time. For more information, check put this website: www.filoli.org

62. Answers to March, 2009 Questions A. Dolley Madison and Martha Washington B. Harriet Land (niece of James Buchanan C. Laura Bush D. Helen Herron Taft E. Ida Saxton McKinley F. Julia Denton Grant G. Michelle Obama

By Pat Camareana page 36 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory 63. Luck of the Murphys – September, 2009 The traditional luck of the Irish certainly seemed to be following Elizabeth Murphy's large extended family as they journeyed west from Iowa as part of a forty wagon train in the spring of 1844. They had the good fortune to be part of a well-organized group with skilled trackers. After splitting up the Murphys crossed the summit of the Sierras with the aid of Chief "Truckee". After getting bogged down in heavy snow on the western side of the pass, Elizabeth was born near the Yuba River. She was the second American child to be born in California. She and the other women and children survived on meager food and make shift cabins for almost four months before being rescued by the men who had gone on ahead. Everyone survived. After resting at Sutter's Fort the Murphy family along with the other members of the wagon train spread out to settle and begin new lives in various parts of California. Elizabeth and her parents raised wheat and cattle in the foothills and made more money supplying the needs of the miners and immigrants. Her father had little time to even look for gold although her older brothers had very lucrative mining claims. Later her family settled and prospered in the south bay where Sunnyvale is today. The sleepy town of Murphys near Angel's Camp is named for this fortunate immigrant family. By 1860 five million in gold was taken just from the four acre placer flat behind the still existent Murphy's Hotel. All in all, the family of Elizabeth Yuba Murphy was a success story in early California history unlike the more well known but tragic Donner Party who attempted to cross the Sierras two years later. www.truckeehistory.org

64. One Woman, One Barrel, and a Million Cubic Feet of Water – October, 2009 Annie Edson Taylor began her career as an underpaid schoolteacher more than one hundred years ago. She spent most of her working years between jobs and locales. Various financial disasters wiped out her savings. Work as a dancing instructor paid her little especially as she got older. Perhaps her desire for a comfortable retirement cushion prompted her to undertake the most dangerous risk of her life. It was difficult to get anyone to help her to set out on what seemed like a surely suicidal venture. To be accepted for this risky undertaking Annie had even claimed to be twenty years less than her real age of 60 something. Finally the big day arrived. Wearing a special harness, she was tightly sealed inside of an airtight custom-made oak barrel padded with a mattress. A small boat towed her out into the fast flowing river current. The barrel was cut loose. After bouncing over the rapids, the barrel dropped 173 feet to the whirling waters below. Seventeen minutes later Annie, still in the barrel, washed up close enough to the Canadian shore to be hooked and dragged ashore. She was relatively unharmed though bruised and battered. Yes, in 1901, Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to survive a trip over Niagara Falls in a barrel. Though not exceptionally high, Niagara Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America. Unfortunately, in spite of the terrible risk that she took, Annie’s fame and fortune was short-lived. Briefly she earned money speaking about her experience to tourists at the falls. She also posed for photographs at her souvenir booth until her barrel was stolen. Twenty years later she died destitute, never finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. She was quoted as saying that she would sooner walk up to the mouth of a cannon about to be fired than to make another trip over the falls. In the following years others have attempted to repeat Annie’s feat… many with much less success. There was even a young Italian woman who walked across the gorge four times in one month on a tight rope, once backwards, another time blindfolded. Now these stunts are forbidden. Amazing to what lengths some people will go to see their names in the papers.

By Pat Camareana page 37 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory More information on Annie Edson Taylor can be found at the following websites: www. niagarafallslive.com, www.adventure.howstuffworks. com, and www.niagaraparks.com

65. When They Were Orphans – November 2009 There is a famous early American painting depicting the Mayflower voyagers landing at Plymouth that cold December day in 1620. A young woman is being handed ashore. That teenaged girl was Mary Chilton. One can only imagine how relieved she must have been to be ashore after the grueling sixty plus days crossing the Atlantic. So what of her future in the New World? In thirteen-year-old Mary’s case as well as two other young girls, it was a rocky start. The daughter of English Pilgrims … religious dissenters from the Church of England, Mary’s older parents died within a short time of their arrival in the New World. Her father already in his sixties survived the ocean crossing only to die aboard ship while still anchored near Provincetown before relocating at Plymouth. Her mother died ashore of the “first sickness” as did nearly half of the Pilgrims who had managed to endure the arduous sea voyage. Mary was one of three orphaned teenaged girls in the struggling new colony. Elizabeth Tilley and the better-known Priscilla Mullin (later the wife of John Alden) were the other two. It was the norm for orphaned children to be taken in by other Pilgrim families until marriage. There was plenty of work for the girls to do. There were babies to watch, fires to be tended constantly, mulching the gardens, and fetching water for drinking and cooking (bathing? … not so much). In exchange for these responsibilities, these young women had no say in political decisions, couldn’t vote or serve on juries. They could not speak in church or interpret scripture. Their heads were to be kept covered in public. All Pilgrim women, like the three orphan girls, learned to read but not to write, not even their names. The law usually treated women as minors with only a few more rights above children. Mary Chilton lived with another Pilgrim family in these circumstances until meeting and marrying John Winslow a few years later. They moved to the Boston area, started a business, had ten children, and thrived. She was the first woman to walk off the Mayflower and the only female Mayflower passenger to leave a will. Happy Thanksgiving. Times have changed. Life is good!! www.historyswomen.com www.aboutfamouspeople.com www.mayflowerhistory.com

66. Kindred Spirits – December, 2009 A 20th century woman could easily have written a quote from a famous American woman born in the early 19th century. “I have an almost complete disregard of precedent and a faith in the possibility of something better. I defy the tyranny of precedent. I go for anything new that might improve the past.” December was a momentous month in both their lives. These two women, Clara and Rosa, never met, having been born almost a century apart, however they very likely would have endorsed going to extraordinary lengths to improve peoples’ lives. Both of their lives attest to this philosophy. The woman who penned the above words was well known as the founder of the American Red Cross but accomplished so much more in her long life. A determined multi-tasker, born on Christmas day in 1821, Clara Barton had early on been the first woman offered a substantial federal clerkship in the U. S. Patent Office. While working in Washington, she became aware of the lack of medical supplies getting to the Civil War soldiers. She advertised for donations in newspapers, and began an independent organization for the distribution of medical supplies to soldiers, traveling with the army behind enemy lines. Following the war, she compiled lists of soldiers missing in action, investigated their whereabouts, and notified their families, including lists of thousands of prisoners in the south. She was probably the first

By Pat Camareana page 38 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory official missing persons investigator. She also became well known in the woman’s suffrage movement working closely with Susan B. Anthony to further the rights of women. After traveling in Europe with the Red Cross on her “vacation”, she returned to the U.S. to found an organization adapting the Red Cross concept to peacetime as well as wartime uses. Meanwhile Rosa Parks was born in Alabama close to the end of Clara’s life. Rosa lived for many years in a part of our country where unequal treatment of people of different races was a daily occurrence. One December evening while riding the bus home from work, Rosa refused to move farther back in the segregated bus to make way for white passengers. She went to extraordinary lengths to stand up for her principals. She believed as Clara did that each person must live their life as a model for others. She was subsequently tried and found guilty of disorderly conduct charges. A long successful bus boycott followed. Rosa is respectfully remembered as an initiator of the modern Civil Rights movement. Both Clara and Rosa would have been kindred spirits both believing in change for the better and unafraid of defying precedent… kindred spirits in two different centuries. The work goes on. www.rosaParks.org www.thinkExist.com www.civilWarHome.com.

67. Scandalous? – January 2010 Vanessa Redgrave played her character,r on film. The medical community uses her name to illustrate an injury syndrome. Angela was thought by some of her critics to be a libertine and by some of her admirers to be a liberator. This San Francisco native is often considered to be the mother of modern dance. She grew up in straight-laced Victorian times in a cultured family that had fallen on hard economic times. A school dropout, she and her sisters taught dancing to make ends meet. Though she had Bay Area roots, Angela lived most of her life in Europe dancing professionally to great acclaim and opening many dance academies introducing interested students to the modern dance styles she advocated. She eschewed tightly corseted clothing and conventional ballet moves, favoring instead natural movement using swirly loose free flowing costumes. Angela further antagonized and scandalized early 20th century society in her personal life, having many liaisons, male and female. She became a Soviet citizen and an ardent supporter of the Russian Revolution. To the medical profession her name became synonymous with the “long scarf syndrome” describing accidents, often fatal, caused by long flowing clothing getting entangled in machinery. This kind of accident was indeed what caused Angel's demise in the Roaring Twenties. While in Nice, riding with a French playboy in a sports car, her long free flowing neck scarf became entangled in a rear wheel. Angela is better known to us today as (Angela) Isadora Duncan, perhaps both as a liberator and a libertine.

68. Lydia’s Farewell Song – February, 2010 Lydia grew up as one of many children in a busy royal Hawaiian household in the early 1800s. From an early age she studied music and played quite a few musical instruments such as the zither, piano, guitar, ukulele, and organ. She sang and composed lyrics to more than 160 poetic melodies and chants over her long lifetime. One of her songs became the Hawaiian national anthem for many years. Through her music and lyrics she expressed her feelings about Hawaii and its people. Due to the deaths of her two brothers, she found herself elevated to Queen. Lots of political infighting and disputes over succession and royal power sharing made her reign difficult. Attempts to overthrow her reign followed. The growing influence of American interests and anxiety over having a female ruler led to calls for Hawaiian annexation. Lydia later abdicated her throne and spent time under house arrest. During this time she composed much music. Her musical efforts helped to preserve key elements of Hawaiian traditional

By Pat Camareana page 39 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory poetry mixing in western harmonies. Queen Lydia also promoted and supported the development of Buddism and Shintoism, which helped these religions gain acceptance in Hawaiian society as Asian immigrants were arriving in greater numbers. Hawaii soon was annexed by the United States. Lydia is best known as Queen Lili’uokalani. However, one little known fact is that she was the composer of a very popular Hawaiian farewell song universally recognized Known to most visitors today as “Aloha Oe”, Lydia originally intended the song to be a love song. After seeing two lovers sharing a fond farewell as she was riding her horse back over the mountains to Honolulu, she was inspired to write the lyrics. Twenty years later, she completed this song as a farewell to her native land as Hawaii lost its independence. Queen Lili’uokalani was the last Hawaiian monarch. The traditional melodies live on in her timeless music. www.pbs.org, www.uic.edu, www.archives.starbulletin.com

69. Ladies In the Bay – March, 2010 There is a large island in San Francisco Bay with a long history. Angel Island was a Miwok hunting and fishing ground, a Civil War encampment, a quarantine station during the Spanish American War, a discharge depot and recruitment processing center during World War 1, an embarkation station and POW camp during WWII, an immigration station often referred to as the “Ellis Island of the West” from 1910 to 1940 an a Nike Missile base from 1955 to 1962. Thanks to the influence of Marin City conservationist Caroline Livermore who led the campaign to create a state park, Angel Island has become a popular weekend city getaway. Caroline’s name adorns the highest peak on the island of over 781 feet. Another lesser known Californian, Tye Leung Schultze, served as the first Chinese interpreter employed by the federal government at the Angel Island Detention Center At 21, she was the first Chinese American federal government civil servant on Angel Island. She also worked with Donaldina Cameron to rescue Chinese girls and women who had been sold into slavery. Hardships, racial discrimination and long interrogations have been documented and photographed by journalists. Much recently discovered poetry etched into the walls of the immigration barracks weave together personal stories of the thousands of Americans who processed through Angel Island often spending long times on the island. Tye Leung and her non-Asian husband later lost their jobs due to the miscegenation laws against mixed marriages. Today Angel Island is a popular getaway for Bay Area residents. Less is remembered about its history. www.nwhp.org, www.parks.ca.gov, www.aiisf.org, www.angelisland.com

70. California's Literary Mother – April, 2010 Born this Women's History month but 166 years ago, Josephina Smith's life got off to a rocky start. However, she overcame many difficulties managing to leave her mark on local Bay Area literary culture even today. As a small child Josephina came to California with her mother, traveling in a wagon train guided by James Beckworth the famous mountain man and adventurer. Her mother was fleeing a polygamous marriage to the brother of Mormon prophet Joseph Smith. After a brief failed marriage and the death of her child, Josephina relocated to the Bay Area to continue her career in journalism. She took a position as the first librarian at the Oakland Free Library. Her poetry writing led her into a literary circle including such writers as Jack London, George Sterling, and Bret Harte. She became a mentor to emerging writers and held frequent readings and discussions at her San Francisco home on Telegraph Hill. Bad luck struck again when her books and papers were all destroyed as her home went up in flames in the 1906 fire. Ever resilient, Josephina became librarian at

By Pat Camareana page 40 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory the Mechanics Library and the Bohemian Club, the latter organization making her their first woman member. A literary circle began to meet regularly at her new house. In 1915, she was named the first poet laureate of California. When she died in 1928, the state legislature adjourned in her memory. Subsequently they named a Sierra mountain peak near Beckworth Pass in her honor. Today, a brisk uphill hike to Pioneer Park (Vallejo and Taylor) on Telegraph Hill will bring you to a great San Francisco viewpoint. Here in the heart of the City is a plaque honoring Josephina and her influence on California literature. Annually UC undergrads compete for a poetry prize in her name. Today, this influential woman is better known by the name of Ina Coolbrith, the name she took to escape detection after fleeing Utah as a child. The Ina Coolbrith Circle still meets most months for poetry readings and guest speakers. Her literary mentorship lives on. For more information on Ina Coolbrith, try these websites: www.yelp.com, www.baseportal.com and www.coolpoetry.org.

71. Mom’s Advice – May, 2010 A new mother does not necessarily know what she is doing if any are willing to admit it to be so. It is all on the job training. Here is some advice from other non-knowledgeable people. Happy Mother’s day!! Good advice. May be? Could be. The kid(s) will survive anyway!! Who said that? We have tapped into moms’ know best advice and other experts such as Dads. They know so much better!! Sure right!! Here are a few fathers willing to share their names. Some meant to be anonymous. And perhaps should be left that way. 1. “My mom’s menu consisted of two choices. Take it or leave it.” – Buddy Hackett 2. “If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?’ – Milton Berle 3. “We spend the first twelve months of our children’s lives teaching them to walk and talk and the next twelve months telling them to sit down and shut up” – Phyllis Diller 4. “Raising a child is partly joy and partly guerella warfare” – Ed Asner 5. “Children are gleeful barbarians” – Joseph Morgenstern 6. “Children are a great comfort in your old age and they help you reach it faster” – Lionel Kaufman. 7. Child rearing #1: “Life ends when the baby is born.” – unknown 8. “I’d like to be the ideal mother but I’m too busy raising myself” – unknown Glad that you could tune in. Happy Mother’s Day to all our members and their mothers and daughters. We do the best we can!

72. Baseball and Bikinis – June, 2010 In Lebanon, bikinis are still technically illegal but women’s baseball is making a big comeback in Japan. Some issues related to women’s places in society are changing at rapid speed while other may take a little longer. In Lebanon this summer thousands of women parading along the beaches in skimpy bikinis or strolling the city’s pavements in miniskirts or shorts will all technically be breaking the law. Some laws have not been amended for over 50 years. For example, a 1941 law still prohibits women from wearing a two- piece and going to the beach. A no longer existing currency of twenty-five Lebanese-Syrian pounds is the punishment.

By Pat Camareana page 41 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory Meanwhile, in Japan, one of the hottest trends in domestic sports is women’s hardball baseball. For example, twenty-five new students joined the Fukuchiyama Seibi high school team this spring. However rising interest in women’s baseball is not limited to high school levels. The sport’s popularity can partly be traced to when Japan’s women’s team went to the world cup in 2008. This spring league competition among women’s professional baseball teams resumed in Japan after a 59-year hiatus. Times are a- changing, speed limits vary.

73. Securing the Shadows – July, 2010 Art or science, photographers and critics have debated their value over the years. Women entered this avenue of visual history soon after the introduction of the camera in 1839. Women were very active in this field, finding it relatively easy to find employment. One such early California woman was Eliza Withington. After an arduous journey by covered wagon with her two children, Eliza arrived in Ione to join her miner husband. Soon after gold was discovered, she opened an ambertype gallery. However, she excelled in landscape portraiture, scrambling over the rocky soil of the Amador foothills. anchoring her camera box in the rocky foothill soil and covering the camera with one of her heavy black dress skirts. She developed the glass plates in the field under the same skirts before scrambling down the steep rocky trails to dusty roads using her one headed parasol for a walking stick. Often she would wait for a fruit wagon to carry her back to Ione City to her portrait clients. Eliza often shot scenes of busy mining camp workings and scenic vistas using the stereoscopic techniques with a special camera. Also, she used the newly developed daguerreotype process, which required cumbersome equipment, and labor intensive processing. This infant craft of photography sustained many frontier females providing them with financial security and independence. If a woman had to work, it seemed that photography was one of the acceptable occupations. Other female photographers such as Mary Winslow and Julia Swift Randolph traveled the uncertain roads of early California. Their work and methods are still acclaimed today, providing glimpses of the past and the women who secured a future with their ingenuity and determination to succeed. www.frank.msu.edu www.cliohistory.org.

74. The Power of Persuasion – August, 2010 August 26th is the 90th anniversary of the ratification by Congress of the 19th amendment in which women finally gained the right to vote. After a long campaign, its advocates had largely despaired of attaining their goal through changes in state laws. This amendment was finally ratified in 1920 exactly as Ellen’s Congressman husband Aaron had introduced it forty years before. By 1914, only ten states had joined Wyoming in ratifying this amendment on the state level. Unfortunately neither of these two Californians had lived to see the amendment accepted although both had a hand in the final outcome. Aaron served three terms in the House of Representatives and one term in the Senate. Ellen worked in a quieter way to influence public opinion as president of various suffrage groups and presiding at conventions called to gather women together to encourage them to continue to fight for the right to vote. Ellen believed that full American citizenship should have the same rights for both men and women including voting. Ellen continued the campaign throughout her life serving as honorary president of the California Equal Suffrage Association and as a board member of the National American Women Suffrage Association. At the age of seventy-four, she went to court in a test case to protest the payment of property taxes. She argued that since she was not allowed to vote, being required to pay property

By Pat Camareana page 42 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory taxes was an instance of taxation without representation. The Declaration of Independence was not meant to exclude women when it declared that all men are equal. Voting has now become the right and duty of all citizens regardless of gender. November is soon approaching and we will all have an opportunity to exercise this right that people like Ellen Sargent and her friends Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton worked so diligently to provide for us.

75. A Woman’s “Touch” – October, 2010 Picture Miss Victoria working in her flower garden outside of a neat little cottage in Lambeth, a working class section of London. Victoria lived there with her two unmarried sisters. A peaceful scene? Yes? Now, picture Miss Victoria’s other life. The neighbors noticed that she went away often…away to sea, as it turned out, as a thoroughly competent ship’s engineer during World War II. Officer Victoria was aboard an unarmed British merchant ship pulling for the American east coast when she was hurled against the hard metal wall of the engine room with stunning force. A German bomber had begun to drop torpedoes. Fortunately for the ship and its crew, Victoria had developed a knack for coaxing more speed from the old engines than any of the other officers. She ordered the rest of the crew out of the engine room for their own safety. Then she set about cajoling the ancient engines with her gentle touch, successfully getting up to all of twelve knots in speed, helping the ship to successfully outmaneuver the German plane long enough for the ship to avoid taking a fatal blow. Scalding steam hissed right by her head and engine oil dripped down her face. Bullets fell through the overhead skylight. Finally the bomber left for greener pastures. The ship was able to dock safely in Norfolk, Virginia with no serious damage or injuries to the crew. Impressed and sympathetic Americans raised $2500, in her honor, to fund a vitally needed service back in Victoria’s hometown of Lambeth. Called the “Victoria Drummond Canteen”, it was a rolling van-canteen used during London air raids. Also the insurance firm, Lloyds of London, awarded Victoria, the British Merchant Service’s only woman engineer, their highest medal for her gallantry at sea. To top it off, King George presented her with the prestigious Order of membership of the British Empire. In the meantime, the war raged on. Before the German defeat, Victoria Drummond left her flower garden repeatedly to return to sea and serve her country during many more potentially dangerous Atlantic crossings. In between times, she did her war “bit” on the home front also, serving as a helper at the local air raid post. “When the tough get going...” as the old saying sort of goes, call on a woman. Victoria was that sort of woman. Based upon “The Lady Is An Engineer” by Patricia Strauss in Vogue’s First Reader (1942)

76. The Long Road to Outer Space – November, 2010 Just this past April, Naoko Yamazaki returned aboard the space shuttle Discovery after participating in a two-week mission to the International Space Station. The second ever Japanese woman astronaut to go into space, Naoko operated a robotic arm transferring supplies and equipment. Today it is accepted without raised eyebrows that women do participate in space flights. However their acceptance into the early training programs was slow in the beginning. It has been more than fifty years since the first woman attempted to be considered for inclusion in the developing American space program. In the early sixties, Jerrie Cobb and twelve other women passed the physical and psychological testing program requirements that at the time were quite rudimentary. However NASA decided not to select any of the women. A second push to have women included in the American space program also failed even after the first Russian woman cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova, successfully blasted off. There were no female military test pilots yet and would not be for many years. The astronaut candidates were selected By Pat Camareana page 43 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory from this group. Selective requirements have loosened up over the years. Fifteen years later NASA chose six American women including Sally Ride as astronaut Candidates. In 1983 she became the first American woman in space. Since then many women from different countries have participated in the global space program in many different capacities. No one bats an eye. Currently at least twenty-two women are active US astronauts. For further information see these websites: www.newscientist.com and www.womenhistory. about.com

77. Holiday “Angels” – December, 2010 Holiday seasons during the Civil War were at once both sad and lonesome for those families at home but worse for those injured soldiers in military distant hospitals, not unlike today’s war casualties and their far-away families. Fortunately there were “angels” then. Civil War nurses became the holiday angels for the wounded troops far from home, in both the North and South. Letters from home would be read, small Christmas trees would be decorated, and maybe hardtack and pork bellies served for dinner…all with the help of these overworked “angels”. Male nurses were used more at the beginning of the war. Women were not thought of as having the stamina to bear up. However, as the war dragged on and the need for help increased, women were reluctantly accepted. Later on they were encouraged as they proved their worth many times over. Early on there was no real medical training and most nurses were either volunteers or paid a minimum salary. They were expected to dress plainly in brown or black and to be between the ages of 30 and 50. Salaries paid were about $0.40 monthly for women but about $20.40 for male nurses. Some orders of nuns became nurses also. More than two thousand women volunteered. Few of the “angels” left written records of their names or journals of what experiences they endured under harsh and brutal conditions. They were in the trenches providing triage-type assistance, calming panicking soldiers, dispensing vital medications, and supporting the thinly stretched physicians. One female doctor we know of was Dr. Mary Walker. Miss Dorothea Dix was one of the better-known nurses who served during the Civil War. These “angels” served throughout the war… holidays not excepted. No holiday pay, no retirement and little acknowledgement of their vital services. www.civilwarhome.com www.historynet.com

78. Looking Back and Forward – January, 2011 As one year closes and another fresh one begins, it has become traditional to reflect upon the events of the old year and plan for the next. In the area of women’s issues, there is much to celebrate in the way of milestones, events, and achievements for 2010. There is also lots of “unfinished business” to monitor in 2011. Two women, Katheryn Bigelow and Elena Kagan have achieved remarkable positions. Katheryn Bigelow became the first woman film director in the 82-year history of the Oscars to receive the best director award for her work on “The Hurt Locker”. New York native, Princeton, Oxford, and Harvard educated Elena Kagan joined Sotormayor and Ginsberg on the bench of the Supreme Court. For the first time in history three women are seated on this highest federal judicial bench. In contrast, Congress is only 17% female. 2010 also marks the 50th anniversary of the FDA’s approval of “The Pill”, offering women an unprecedented measure of control over their bodies and initiating profound social change. 2010 also marked the Congressional passage of the Health Care Reform Bill. There should be many benefits for women as the various provisions are implemented in the following few years. Hopefully

By Pat Camareana page 44 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory decades of gender-based discrimination by the health care industry related to coverage and premium costs will be mitigated with additional options for women who make more of the medical decisions for their families and themselves. On the negative side, 2010 had some deleterious effects on the lives of women. The lives of Haitian women and girls were marginal before the horrendous earthquake last January. Prior to the quake, an estimated 72% of females have been raped and at least 40% of women have been victims of domestic violence. Now, with the limited ability of the fragile government to provide for even the most elemental needs of the population in general, women are likely to be exposed to greater sexual violence and exploitation. Disaster relief agencies are struggling to meet even the most basic human need let alone addressing human rights violations. Educational opportunities will be limited for a long time to come…a giant step backward for Haitian women. Nationally, 2010 was not as good year as hoped for women’s political ambitions in Congress. The year of Republican women and the “Mama Grizzlies” did not fare well. A total of 22 Republican women won House seats. Four Democratic women won their bids for Senate and 48 in the House. Some race results have been disputed. However, the 112th congress may have fewer women members. All in all, 2010 was a year of mixed blessings for women. There will be many unresolved issues for our attention in 2011.

79. Harrye’s Historic Bells – February, 2011 The next time you find yourself driving to LA from the Bay Area, take the more scenic but somewhat longer route following highway 101 and you will notice the Mission Bells along the roadside. They are marking out the historic road that connected the Spanish missions, the El Camino Real. Their presence there, reminding us of our Spanish and Mexican heritage, were the inspiration of Mrs. A.S.C. Forbes. Harrye, a Pennsylvania native, moved to Southern California with her businessman husband in the 1890s. The Missions had been built by the Spanish in the late 1700 into the early 1820s. A road used by early travelers and soldiers connected them. By the late 1800s the twenty one missions had become picturesque ruins featured in paintings by the California Impression-ists calling attention to their crumbling conditions. By the last decade of the century the public was ready to take steps to preserve the state’s early heri-tage. Slowly the state began to take an interest in restoring what remained of the 21 missions. A group of California women had an equally important idea: Preserve the 700-mile dirt road “highway” that led north from San Diego. A few years earlier, Anna Pitcher, a prominent member of the Woman’s Club of Los Angeles had issued a plea to preserve this historic trail. Over the next decade there was considerable discussion, but no action. It wasn’t until 1904 when a group of women formed the El Camino Real Association. Mrs. Harrye Forbes agreed to serve on the executive com-mittee of the new association. Then things began to happen. Mrs. Forbes had become a freelance reporter and wrote one of the first guidebooks to Los Angeles. She was also an accom-plished photographer and director of the Los Angeles Camera Club, opening the first photographic studio in Los Angeles. She researched the exact location of the original trail and along with her woman’s organizations raised money for its preservation. Then her group devised the idea of creating a distinctive marker to capture public attention and help the growing band of motor enthusiasts to tour the original road to see the missions and other historic buildings. Harrye’s entry was selected. The design combined a 100-pound bell on an 11-foot shaft, curved to look like a Franciscan walking stick. Money was raised to manufacture and place about 400 bells between 1906 and 1913. One was placed in front of each of the missions. Harrye also wrote

By Pat Camareana page 45 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory two books documenting the early days before California’s gold rush. Harrye’s husband acquired a foundry and pro-duced most of the El Camino marker bells. Miniature bells were for sale to the public. Over the years many bells were lost during road reconstruction or just plain stolen. Cal Trans put a great many back in the 1990s. They can still be purchased for your belfry or garden. A small but important part of our state’s early history was preserved with no small effort thanks to Mrs. A.S.C. Forbes. A major part of our heritage has been preserved for our children to appreciate.

80. Rights at Risk in Libya – March, 2011 In the years following the 1969 bloodless coup that brought Colonel Ghaddafi to power, the lives of Libyan women began to change even under his repressive regime The strong influence of tribal customs, lineage, and limited freedoms under Purdah rules began to loosen every so slowly. Families began to move from isolated desert areas to the growing cities in response to expanded job opportunities in the growing lucrative oil industry. Many foreign workers immigrated bringing with them new ideas and mores. Mass media information sources and expanded educational opportunities have influenced popular culture and with it the role of women in society. Yes, a simpler version of Islam is practiced but women can travel about freely, mostly unveiled to a large extent, especially in the cities. Ghaddafi’s own personal view may be much traditional, however women can vote and own businesses. Still about 20% of all marriages are arranged through kin ties. Few Libyan women have entered the political arena or held offices in the repressive government. Ghaddafi did establish a female military academy. He has been observed at conferences with women bodyguards dressed battle fatigues. However as little as five years ago, Human Rights Watch reported on the arbitrary detention of women and girls in “social rehabilitation” facilities officially portrayed as protective homes for females “vulnerable to engaging in moral misconduct”. These de facto prisons featured locked rooms, no access to education, and much reported sexual harassment. Some women were only placed in such institutions for no other reason than being orphans or victims of rape rejected by their families for staining their honor. In 2009 a journalist was detained and charged with criminal defamation after reporting on a demonstration by women protesting these state run residences where stays are indefinite. In short, the situation for women in Libya has been a mixed bag. Old tribal traditions still have a strong pull in this basically repressive society. As events play out in the current political upheaval it remains to be seen how events will affect the lives of Libyan women Just a week ago, a journalist entering eastern Libya reported seeing a woman in a leather jacket and carrying an AK-47 “manning” a border check point, her hair uncovered. Will the current political high tide allow women to ride a wave of positive change or toss them about in the undertow? Stay tuned for further developments in this volatile desert country. www.hrw.org; www.bestcountryreports.com; www.everyculture.com.

81. So She Says – April, 2011 The following quote is from a magazine article written by Mary Livermore in the 1880s but it could have been attributed to a baskeball player in the final four basketball tournement to be played early this month: “Whoever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts’ probably lost.” Some of the basketball players may not agree with this idea, however Mary was definitely a winner and a competitor. Her successes had nothing to do with basketball. She achieved as a teacher, writer, reporter, editor, a social organizer during the Civil War, a spiritualist, and an abolitionist. Mary was the only woman reporter present when Abraham Lincoln won the Republican nomination for President. After the Civil War she became director of the US Sanitary Commission, which organized aid for soldiers. She traveled

By Pat Camareana page 46 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory widely behind Union lines, raising money, and organizing sanitary procedures in camps and hospitals. She even tended wounded soldiers arranging to get them home safely. Wife of a Universalist minister, she worked with many women’s groups. She was amazed by the great relatively untapped potential of women to achieve in all areas of American life. She established a woman’s newspaper and organized Chicago’s first woman’s suffrage convention. She lectured widely on woman’s rights, history, and religion, even traveling to Europe. She was also active in the temperance union. Like many Universalists, she was interested in spiritualism. “Above the titles of wife and mother, although dear, are transitory and accidental, there is the title “human being”, which precedes and out ranks every other.” Almost forty years after her death, along with Josephine Shaw Lowell, one of her contemporaries, Mary Liver-more was a winner hands down. Her name was given to one of the more than 2700 Liberty ships, those emergency ships hastily built early in WWII. But more about Josephine Shaw Lowell next month!! www.maryLivermore.com www.biography.com www.betterWorldHeroes.com.

82. A Practical Reformer – May, 2011 If you have spent any time in Bryant Park in New York City you have probably walked past a pink granite memorial fountain behind the New York City Public Library. This 99-year-old fountain was the city’s first public memorial dedicated to a woman. That woman was Josephine Shaw Lowell. A Massachusetts native from a well to do family, Josephine moved to New York City as a young widow with a new baby. Her husband of one year had been killed in the Civil War. Josephine’s family had raised her to believe on one’s responsibility to give back to society and to help others in need. This belief set the tone and guided her role as a social reformer in her newly adopted city. For the rest of her long life she advocated for charitable programs that had long term effect on the needy...not just food or clothing handouts but programs to teach people to help themselves, Said she, “if it could only be drummed into the rich that what the poor want is fair wages and not little doles of food, we should not have all this suffering and misery and vice.” In 1882 Josephine founded the New York Charity Organization, which she guided for the next twenty-five years. This organization was influential in setting standards for relief work. In 1890 Lowell was asked to work with the New York working woman’s society to enlist middle class women to help secure better working conditions for women. The society’s first activity was to prepare a list of shops paying minimum fair wages to women, shorter working hours, and better sanitary conditions. She helped to focus public attention on undesirable working conditions. Bringing to light these often dismal and unsafe situations had a positive influence on legislators as well. Josephine believed strongly that it made more sense to assist the less fortunate in society to earn livable wages before they sink under water financially than it was to spend at lot of time and energy fishing them out later. Later on would come the founding of the Women’s Trade Union League and the Uprising of the 20,000 female shirtwaist makers in New York striking against sweatshop conditions. But those are other stories of women seeking social reform. By the time of World War II many women were working assembling the many Liberty Ships that helped win the war. Many women probably worked on the ship named for Josephine Shaw Lowell. womenshistory.about.com www.nysut.org www.thelaborsite.com

83. No Regrets – June, 2011 How does a girl from Jersey (the island, that is) become a wealthy Northern California winery owner and breeder of racehorses? Emilie managed this feat during staid Victorian times by having many influential and wealthy friends and lovers in high places. Said she, “They saw me there, those reckless seekers of beauty, and in a night I was famous.” Moving to London in her twenties, Emilie became the By Pat Camareana page 47 of 48 SF AAUW Interesting Women of Histiory semi-official mistress of Queen Victoria’s son “Bertie”, the future Edward VII. Renowned for her lily- white complexion, she became an actress and toured the United States becoming an overnight sensation, and finally, a US citizen. After a divorce, she moved to San Francisco living briefly on Noe Street. Remarrying, she and her wealthy husband bought an estate in Lake County where they cultivated wine grapes and raised racehorses. She lived there part-time for eighteen years separating from the soon-to-be baron husband along the way. To support her lavish lifestyle, she continued to perform on European stages. She used her high public profile to land endorsements for such products as Pears Soap. She was the first woman to be paid to do so; In fact she was paid by her weight... pound for pound. It was possible that Emilie’s photograph was the inspiration for the writer Arthur Conan Doyle’s character–the beautiful Irene Adler–who so captivated Sherlock Holmes. When touring Europe Emilie loved to vacation in Monaco. In 1907 she became the first woman to break the bank at the casino in Monte Carlo. Always reinventing herself, in later life she tried her hand as a novelist and took roles in early silent movies. She once sued the Keepers Chop House in London in 1905 over their gentleman’s only seating policy and won. Then she sailed in to the restaurant wearing a feather boa and ordered a mutton chop. “Anyone who limits her vision to memories of yesterday is already dead” she would say. Most of her life this fair skinned beauty went by the name of Lillie… Lillie Langtry. Her Lake County house still exists on the property of the Langtry Estate Vineyard in the Guenoc Valley near Middletown, about ninety miles north of San Francisco. Lillie lived a full and adventurous life with no regrets. www.langtryfarms.com www.lillielangtrycom www.jaynesjersey.com

84. No Regrets – July, 2011 In the very first few years after the Gold Rush was turning San Francisco into a boomtown, Abby arrived as a young bride of 18. Born in Maine of Irish immigrants, she married a wealthy San Francisco banker, former US consul to Mazatlan, and successful real estate investor eighteen years her senior. Settling down on Folsom Street in the fashionable Rincon Hill area, Abby and her husband John Parrott set about raising their eight children in a dignified brownstone. Summers were spent on their San Mateo property, now part of the Baywood area. John's wise real estate dealings and importing business made them very wealthy. However, after the death of her husband, Abby herself turned to the management of their various properties. In the next thirty years, she became recognized as one of San Francisco’s and California’s richest and most philanthropic women. Property located at 841 Market Street near Powell was purchased from the Jesuit order to bail them out of a deep debt and help them move to a larger location for their growing high school. The new Parrott Building opened in 1896 as the Emporium touted at the time to be the world's finest department store. She also gave property to the Catholic Church in San Mateo for the creation of St. John's Cemetery and a new St. Matthew Catholic Church. She reportedly fed hundreds of indigent people who came to the door of her San Mateo mansion. It is said that she insisted that the needy people receive food as good as what was served to her family members. Like many children of immigrants, Abby Eastman Meagher Parrott contributed much of her great energy and financial assets to the betterment of our state. www.geneology.com www.timelines.ws www.lawrencePeterson.com

By Pat Camareana page 48 of 48 SF AAUW