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Home , Abby Kelley, Alice Hamilton, Amelia Bloomer, Anne Dallas Dudley, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Anne Sullivan

Faye Glenn Abdellah 1919 - • As a nurse researcher transformed theory, nursing care, and nursing education

• Moved nursing practice beyond the patient to include care of families and the elderly

• First nurse and first woman to serve as Deputy Surgeon General

Bella Abzug 1920 – 1998

• As an attorney and legislator championed women’s rights, human rights, equality, peace and social justice

• Helped found the National Women’s Political Caucus

Abigail Adams 1744 – 1818

• An early feminist who urged her husband, future president to “Remember the Ladies” and grant them their civil rights

• Shaped and shared her husband’s political convictions

Jane Addams 1860 – 1935

• Through her efforts in the , prodded America to respond to many social ills

• Received the in 1931

Madeleine Korbel Albright 1937 – • First female Secretary of State

• Dedicated to policies and institutions to better the world

• A sought-after global strategic consultant

Tenley Albright 1934 – • First American woman to win a world figure skating championship; triumphed in figure skating after overcoming

• First winner of figure skating’s triple crown

• A surgeon and blood plasma researcher who works to eradicate polio around the world

Louisa May Alcott 1832 – 1888 • Prolific author of books for American girls. Most famous book is Little Women

• An advocate for abolition and – the first woman to register to vote in Concord, in 1879

Florence Ellinwood Allen 1884 – 1966 • A pioneer in the legal field with an amazing list of firsts: The first woman elected to a judgeship in the U.S. First woman to sit on a state supreme court. First woman to sit on a Federal bench of general jurisdiction. First woman Chief Judge on a Federal Court.

Linda G. Alvarado 1952 –

• Opened doors to women in construction as the founder and sole owner of a commercial and industrial contracting/site management firm. Sought after for corporate board seats at age 27 and still today

• First woman and first Hispanic to co-own a major league team ( Rockies)

Dorothy H. Andersen 1901 – 1963

• Pediatrician and pathologist who was the first to identify cystic fibrosis. Developed the diagnostic test that led to treatment and management of the illness

• Developed training programs for surgeons performing open- heart surgery.

Marian Anderson 1897 – 1993 • The first African-American to perform at the . The first African-American singer to perform as a member of the Metropolitan

• Her famous concert at the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday 1939 helped shatter color barriers

Ethel Percy Andrus 1884 – 1967

• Founded the National Retired Teachers Association to meet economic needs of retired teachers

• Founded the American Association of Retired Persons

Maya Angelou 1928 – 2014

• A powerful writer who inspired generations of women, African and all people to overcome prejudice, discrimination and abuse

• First black woman to have a screenplay produced

Susan B. Anthony 1820 – 1906 • One of the preeminent leaders of the women’s suffrage movement

• Although she did not live to see the Nineteenth Amendment passed and ratified, she knew the cause would be won as she said “Failure is Impossible.”

Virginia Apgar 1909 – 1974 • Developed the 0-10 point score used on all newborns at one minutes and five minutes after birth – the Apgar Score

• A doctor who was the first woman to head a department at and the first woman to hold a full professorship in any discipline at that University

Ella Baker 1903 – 1986

• A major force in the

• Premiere behind-the-scenes organizer, co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference headed by Martin Luther King, Jr. and inspiring force behind the creation of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee

•, 1911 – 1989

• Her beloved comedy show, I Love Lucy, pioneered many technical aspects and served as a launching pad for her talents

• First female studio head in Hollywood, breaking the for women executives in the film and television industry

Ann Bancroft 1955 –

• The first woman to travel across the ice to the

• An and educator whose many sports firsts has led to her dedication to inspiring women and girls to follow their dreams.

Clara Barton 1821 – 1912

• Founded the

• Known as the “angel of the battlefield” during the Civil War

Eleanor K. Baum 1940 – • The first woman engineer to be named dean of an engineering college in the U.S.

• Her many accomplishments within the engineering field throughout her career have broken professional barriers

Ruth Fulton Benedict 1887 – 1948 • A pioneering anthropologist who became America’s leading specialist in the field

• Mentored anthropologist

Mary McLeod Bethune 1875 – 1955

• The founder of a school that is today Bethune-Cookman University

• An advisor to many presidents, she served in the so-called “Black Cabinet” and worked hard to improve the status of

Antoinette Blackwell 1825 – 1921

• The first woman minister of a recognized denomination

• Worked in the women’s rights movements and lived long enough to cast her ballot in 1920

Elizabeth Blackwell 1821 – 1910 • The first woman awarded the M.D. degree

• Founded a Women’s Medical College in order to train other women physicians

Emily Blackwell 1826 – 1910 • A doctor who directed the Women’s Medical College in City

• Her high standards made the college the finest of its time for educating

Amelia Bloomer 1818 – 1894

• Suffrage pioneer and writer

• Her name is forever associated with dress reform – the tunic and pantelettes known as bloomers

Nellie Bly 1864 – 1922

• A pioneer in investigative reporting

• Later, an entrepreneur who pioneered in treating her employees well

Louise Bourgeois 1911 – 2010 • One of the world’s preeminent artists

• Painted, sculpted and worked with textiles. The only American woman sculptor in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC

Margaret Bourke-White 1904 – 1971 • The first female documentary photographer to work with and be accredited by the U.S. armed forces

• Her photo graced the cover of the first Life

Lydia Moss Bradley 1816 – 1908

• Founded Bradley Polytechnic Institute; today Bradley University

• First female member of an American national bank board

Myra Bradwell 1831 – 1894

• One of America’s first women

• Advocated for women’s suffrage and created ’s first women’s suffrage convention

Mary Breckinridge 1881 – 1965 • ’s foremost pioneer in the development of American

• Established the Frontier Nursing Service to provide nursing care in rural areas

Nancy Brinker 1946 – • The leader of the global breast cancer movement; established pink as the iconic color for breast cancer

• Founded Susan G. Komen; a pioneer in the concept of cause-related marketing and has raised billions in dollars for research for breast cancer

Gwendolyn Brooks 1917 – 2000 • A winning poet

• Much of her work reflects the neglected miracles of everyday existence

Pearl S. Buck 1892 – 1973

• Most well known for her international best seller The Good for which she received the Pulitzer Prize

• A Nobel Laureate in Literature

Betty Bumpers 1925 –

• The former of has dedicated her life to issues affecting children’s health, empowering women, and the cause of world peace

• Spearheaded a program, since emulated nationwide, for childhood immunizations

Charlotte Anne Bunch 1944 – • One of the foremost advocates of international attention to women’s issues and the inclusion of gender and sexual orientation on global human rights agenda

• Founded the Center for Women’s Global Leadership at

St. Frances X. Cabrini 1850 – 1917 • The founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The patron to immigrants

• Founded convents, schools, orphanages and hospitals in the U.S. and around the world – ultimately directing 67 hours, staffed by 1500 nuns aiding the poor, illiterate, the unskilled and the sick

Mary Steichen Calderone 1904 – 1998

• Physician, author and founder of SIECUS – the Sex Information and Education Council of the

• Her numerous books have helped parents explain sex and sexuality to their children

Annie Jump Cannon 1863 – 1941

• An astronomer who perfected the universal system of still in use today

• Classified hundreds of thousands of

Rachel Carson 1907 – 1964 • Her 1962 book, , was a call to action against the pesticide DDT and galvanized the entire environmental movement

• Often credited with sparking the efforts that led to Earth Day in 1970

Rosalynn Smith Carter 1927 – • Significantly raised public awareness of mental health issues as First Lady

• Her initiative “” led to significantly increased levels of immunization

Mary Ann Shadd Cary 1823 – 1893

• The first African-American woman in North America to edit a weekly newspaper

• First African-American woman to earn a law degree

• First woman to speak at a national African-American convention

Mary Cassatt 1844 – 1926

• An impressionist painter who painted what she saw – often mothers and children

Willa Cather 1873 – 1947 • A Pulitzer Prize winning author whose novels echo themes of strong women, the fight against provincial life and the dying of the pioneer tradition

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Carrie Chapman Catt 1859 – 1947 • A dynamic speaker and leader, she led the efforts to gain women the right to vote with her “winning plan”

• Worked internationally for women’s suffrage

Julia Child 1912 – 2004

• Forty years as America’s leading chef. Brought French cooking to the U.S. in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, considered at the time the best English language cookbook

• First woman to be inducted into the Culinary Institute of America

Lydia Maria Child 1802 – 1880

• A lifelong advocate for abolition and women’s rights. Her book has often been cited as the first anti-slavery publication and advocated for education for African Americans

• Founding member of the Massachusetts Women’s Suffrage Association

Shirley Chisholm 1924 – 2005 • The first African-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress

• In 1972, entered the presidential primaries and received many delegate votes for the presidential nomination

Hillary Rodham Clinton 1947 – • The first First Lady to be elected to the U.S. Senate and the first female senator from New York State

• The third woman to serve as Secretary of State

Jacqueline Cochran 1906 – 1980

• The first woman to break the and the first living woman enshrined in the Aviation Hall of Fame

• During World War II, she became director of the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots teaching 1200 women to fly transports

Mildred Cohn 1913 – 2009

• The first female biochemist to receive the National Medal of Science

• Pioneered research that helped form the scientific understanding of mechanisms of enzymatic reactions and the methods of studying them

Bessie Coleman 1892 – 1926 • The world’s first African- American woman aviator

• Challenged racial barriers and refused to participate in segregated events

• Planned to open a flying school to teach other African Americans how to fly but her dream was cut short by her tragic flying accident

Eileen Collins 1956 – • The first American woman to pilot a spacecraft

• She overcame much hardship to earn her pilot’s license

Ruth Colvin 1917 –

• Worked more than 40 years in the field of adult literacy establishing what today is known as ProLiteracy Worldwide

• Determined that traditional classroom methods would not work – that community networks were required to combat adult illiteracy

Rita Rossi Colwell 1934 –

• The first woman Director of the National Science Foundation and the first biologist

• Recipient of the National Medal of Science for her work in studying oceans, climate and human health

Joan Ganz Cooney 1929 – • The creator of , which has educated and benefited millions of children

• The founder of the Children’s Workshop

St. 1838 – 1918 • The founder of hospitals in New York State went to and worked in the hospital that served the leper colony

• She founded numerous hospitals and transformed souls with her philosophy of seeing value in every individual, ensuring human rights and individual dignity

Gerty Cori 1896 – 1957

• The first American woman to receive a Nobel in the sciences, she received the 1947 in or Medicine for discovering how is converted into glycogen in the body, a process now called the

• Her research had a profound effect on the treatment of diabetes. Later she worked with enzymes and hormones

Jane Cunningham Croly 1829 – 1901

• The founder and driving force behind the American club women’s movement that would reshape American society

• Probably the nation’s first syndicated woman’s columnist

• Staunch believer in equal rights for women

Paulina Wright Davis 1813 – 1876 • Women’s rights advocate, social reformer, educator and author for over forty years

• Organizer and president of the First National Women’s Rights Convention. Helped found the Woman Suffrage Association

Dorothy Day 1897 – 1980 • A radical Catholic social change activist widely considered one of the great Catholic lay leaders of the 20th century

• Co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement, she worked to promote peace, social justice, non-violence and direct aid to the poor and destitute

Marian de Forest 1864 – 1935

• A major force in the progressive women’s movement

• Founded what today is Zonta International

• A strong proponent of the arts

Donna de Varona 1947 –

• The youngest competitor at the 1960 Olympics. By age seventeen, voted Most Outstanding Female Athlete in the World

• The winner of two Olympic Gold Medals, she became the first female sports broadcaster on network television

Karen DeCrow 1937 – 2014 • One of the most celebrated leaders of the women’s movement

• A president of the National Organization for Women, she dedicated her legal career to , eliminating age discrimination and protecting

Emma Smith DeVoe 1848 – 1927 • A leading suffragist in the early who ran the campaign to enfranchise women in Washington State

• Organized the first national organization of voting women

Emily Dickinson 1830 – 1886

• One of the greatest poets of the English language

• Her nearly 1800 poems were discovered by her family after her death

Dorothea Dix 1802 – 1887

• A crusader for the humane treatment of the mentally ill

• Traveled thousands of miles within the U.S. and overseas publicizing the terrible conditions in which the insane were housed and lobbying for legislative action

Elizabeth Hanford Dole 1936 – • The first woman to be President of the Red Cross since held that position as founder

• A trailblazer and leader, she served as both Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of Labor

Marjory Stoneman Douglas 1890 – 1998 • An environmental advocate who dedicated her life to preserving and restoring the

• Established a voting constituency, Friends of the Everglades, to continue her work

St. 1858 – 1955

• A missionary who dedicated her life to aiding Native Americans and African Americans, particularly through the establishment of educational institutions

• Founded Xavier University in and more than 60 other schools and missions

Anne Dudley 1876 – 1955

• Central to the national campaign and the struggle in the state of to pass and ratify the Nineteenth Amendment enfranchising women

• Founder and first president of the Nashville Equal Suffrage League

Mary Barret Dyer 1611 – 1660 • An advocate for religious ; the only woman to die in the cause for religious tolerance

• Today, she is considered a martyr and her statue is outside the statehouse in Massachusetts

Amelia Earhart 1897 – 1937 • The first woman to fly across Ocean

• Achieved many other aviation firsts before she and her navigator were lost while flying around the world

Sylvia Earle 1935 –

• The first female chief scientist of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, she has logged more than 7,000 hours underwater

• Oceanographer, conservationist and entrepreneur, “Her Deepness” works worldwide to preserve our oceans

Catherine East 1916 – 1996

• Called the “ to the contemporary women’s movement”

• Saw the need for a national organization that became the National Organization for Women and encouraged the creation of state-level commissions on women

Crystal Eastman 1881 – 1928 • Co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union

• Helped draft the country’s first workers’ compensation law

• An attorney, she co-authored the first

Mary Baker Eddy 1821 – 1910 • The founder of Christian Science, which today is a worldwide religion

• Began the publication of the Christian Science Monitor and other publications

Marian Wright Edelman 1939 –

• Civil rights activist and founder of the Children’s Defense Fund to apply pressure on the federal government to help poor children and to coordinate nationwide activities to help children

• First African-American woman admitted to the bar in

Gertrude Ederle 1905 – 2003

• The first woman to swim the English Channel

• Developed new techniques for teaching people with hearing impairments to swim

Gertrude Elion 1918 – 1999 • Nobel Laureate who created drugs to combat leukemia, gout, malaria, herpes, and autoimmune disorders as well as the AIDS drug AZT

• Created the first immunosuppressant drug that enabled organ transplants

Dorothy Harrison Eustis 1886 – 1946 • Co-founded the nation’s first guide dog school, , combining her love of animals with her passion for helping others

• The Seeing Eye helps make the world accessible to those who are blind or visually impaired

Alice Evans 1881 – 1975

• Bacteriologist who identified the organism that caused undulant fever that led to laws mandating milk pasteurization, saving countless lives

• First woman president of the American Society of Bacteriologists

Geraldine Ferraro 1935 – 2011

• The first woman nominated by a major political party as its candidate for Vice President of the United States

• Ran on the Democratic ticket with former Vice President

Ella Fitzgerald 1917 – 1996 • Regarded as the nation’s greatest and pop artist

• Demanded equal pay with white artists

Betty Ford 1918 – 2011 • By courageously sharing her diagnosis of breast cancer, she inspired countless women across the nation to get breast examinations

• Her use of her personal story of addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs led to public awareness and the founding of the Center

Loretta C. Ford 1920 –

• Transformed the profession of nursing and made health care more accessible to the public

• Created and implemented the first pediatric nurse practitioner model and training program

Abby Kelley Foster 1811 – 1887

• A major figure in the national anti-slavery and women’s rights movements who spent more than twenty years traveling the country as a tireless crusader for social justice and equality for all

Helen Murray Free 1923 – • A chemist whose work changed the face of medical diagnostics

• Developed the first dip-and- read diagnostic test strips for monitoring glucose in the urine as well as additional strips for testing levels of key indicators for other diseases and conditions

Betty Friedan 1921 – 2006 • A founder of the National Organization for Women

• Her 1963 book, , triggered a period of change that continues today

Margaret Fuller 1810 – 1850

• Her writings inspired leaders of the women’s movement

• Her 1845 book Women in the Nineteenth Century influenced the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls in 1848

Matilda Joslyn Gage 1826 – 1898

• Best known as the co-author of the first three volumes of the History of Woman Suffrage

• Helped form suffrage groups and edited newspapers and authored materials

• “There is a word sweeter than Mother, Home or Heaven; that word is Liberty.”

Ina May Gaskin 1940 – • The “mother of authentic midwifery”

• The Gaskin maneuver, performed when a baby’s shoulders are stuck in the birth canal, is the first obstetrical procedure to be named after a midwife

Althea Gibson 1927 – 2003 • The first African American to win the All-England Championship at Wimbledon and the U.S. National Tennis Championship at Forests Hills

• After her tennis career, she took up and became the first African-American woman to earn her LPGA card.

Lillian Moller Gilbreth 1878 – 1972

• A founder of the field of industrial engineering, this mother of 12 was immortalized in the books Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes

• A pioneer in the field of career assessment

Charlotte Perkins Gilman 1860 – 1935

• Demanded equal treatment for women as the best means to advance society’s progress

• Lecturer, writer, philosopher, theoretician, educator and activist

Ruth Bader Ginsburg 1933 – • The second woman to sit on the bench of the United States Supreme Court

• Has worked her entire career to eliminate gender-based stereotyping in legislation and regulations

Maria Goeppert-Mayer 1906 – 1972 • The first American woman and the second woman to win the

• She developed the shell model of the nuclear of the atom, the basic model for the description of nuclear properties

Katharine Graham 1917 – 2001

• Her decision to publish the Pentagon Papers earned her a reputation as a courageous, fair and thorough journalist.

• Moved into the top ranks of American newspapers

Martha Graham 1894 – 1991

• One of the greatest artists of the 20th century; forever altered the scope of dance

• Influenced generations of dancers and choreographers; expanded the boundaries of contemporary dance and created a whole new movement language

Ella Grasso 1919 – 1981

• When she was elected of , she became the first woman elected state governor in her own right

• A champion for those who needed help

Marcia Greenberger 1946 –

• Founder and co-president o the National Women’s Law Center

• A recognized expert on sex discrimination and the law, she has participated in the development of key legislative initiatives and litigation protecting women’s rights in the U.S. Congress and at the U.S. Supreme Court

Martha Wright Griffiths 1912 – 2003 • ’s first woman lieutenant governor; later served in the U.S. Congress

• Best known for adding the word “sex” as discrimination prohibited in the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act, opening the door for gender equity

Sarah Grimké 1792 – 1873 • Among the first female abolitionists and among the first women to speak publicly against slavery

• One of the first to compare the restrictions on women and slaves

Mary A. Hallaren 1907 – 2005

• Commanded the first battalion of WAACS to serve in Europe, during World War II, the largest contingent of women serving overseas throughout the War

• Director of WAC from 1947- 1953. Instrumental in the adoption of the Armed Services Integration Act of 1948

Fannie Lou Hamer 1917 – 1977

• As a civil rights activist, she lost her job and continually risked her life. Helped organize the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party

• Helped organize food cooperatives and other services. Her tombstone reads “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

Alice Hamilton 1869 – 1970 • Leading expert in the field of occupational health – pioneering in the field of toxicology, especially industrial metals and chemical compounds

• The first, and for many years, the only woman on the Harvard faculty

Martha Matilda 1857 – 1950 • Launched a new business model known today as retail franchising

• Through her salons, provided economic self-sufficiency opportunities for hundreds of women

• First woman member of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce

Patricia Roberts Harris 1924 – 1985

• First African-American woman to serve as a U.S. Ambassador, to become dean of a law school, and to serve in a Presidential cabinet

• Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare

Helen Hayes 1900 – 1993

• The “First Lady of Theatre” - first actress to win the Tony award. First actress from the stage to win an Academy Award. First person to win an Oscar in two categories

• First woman to have two successive theatres bear her name. One of few people to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

Dorothy Height 1912 – 2010 • President of the National Council of Negro Women for forty years; active in the civil rights and women’s rights movements

• Championed efforts for strong families and to lift the poor and powerless

Beatrice A. Hicks 1919 – 1979 • Broke new ground for women as an engineer, inventor and engineering executive

• Strove to open of engineering education for women

Oveta Culp Hobby 1905 – 1995

• America’s first woman who organized what became the Women’s Army Corps (WACS) during World War II. She commanded 100,000 women at more than 200 posts in every theater of war operation

• First Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare and the only woman in President Eisenhower’s cabinet

Barbara Holdridge 1929 –

• Co-founded Caedmon Records which pioneered the concept and most significant treasury of spoken word literary recordings

• Launched the spoken word industry and helped lay the foundation for today’s audio books industry

Billie Holiday 1915 – 1959 • One of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time, known as “Lady Day” and well remembered for her interpretation of the anti- poem

• Won five Grammy awards and has been inducted into the Hall of Fame as well as the Jazz Hall of Fame

Wilhelmina Cole Holladay 1922 – • Established the National of Women in the Arts which promotes a greater awareness of women in the arts and their contributions to aesthetics through the ages

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Jeanne Holm 1921 – 2010

• A driving force in achieving parity for military women. Served as Director of

• First woman in the Air Force to be promoted to Brigadier General. First woman in any branch of the military to be promoted to Major General

Bertha Holt 1904 – 2000

• A pioneer in international adoptions who founded what is today Holt International Children’s Services. She changed the world’s attitudes about adoption

• “Grandma Holt’s” legacy is the hundreds of thousands of orphaned children worldwide who have been adopted

Grace Murray Hopper 1906 – 1992 • Created computer programming that forever changed the flow of information and paved the way for modern data processing

• Developed the first computer compiler and the first English- based programming language

Julia Ward Howe 1819 – 1910 • Wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic and was a pioneer in literature and women’s rights. First woman elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters

• Helped found the New England Women’s Club, which became the American Woman Suffrage Association

Dolores Huerta 1930 –

• Labor leader who co-founded the United Farm Workers and was instrumental in the 1965 Delano Grape Strike

• Led fights for rights of migrants and immigrants, their children, and farmworkers. Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Helen LaKelly Hunt 1949 –

• Philanthropist who saw a need – the absence of funding programs and opportunities to help women – and led the movement to set up organizations to meet those funding needs

• Her primary grantmaking principle is the establishment of women’s rights as human rights

Swanee Hunt 1950 – • As a philanthropist, ambassador and social activist, her mission is to achieve gender parity, especially as a means to end war and rebuild societies as well as to alleviate and other human suffering

Zora Neale Hurston 1891 – 1960 • As a novelist, anthropologist and folklorist, she contributed greatly to the preservation of African-American folk traditions as well as to

• Her field work was conducted all over the South and made significant contributions through her intense focus on the lives of African-American women

Anne Hutchinson 1591 – 1643

• Advocate for religious freedom; expelled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony and excommunicated

• Also advocated for the right to free assembly and women’s rights. Honored by the naming of the Hutchinson River and the Hutchinson River Parkway

Barbara Iglewski 1938 –

• Her landmark discovery that pathogenic bacteria communicate with each other has served as the foundation for drug development and an entire field of study

• Determined how these pathogenic bacteria damage the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients; a leader in this field of research; Mentor and advocate for

Shirley Ann Jackson 1946 –

• First African-American woman to receive a doctorate from MIT. First African-American woman to serve on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and first woman and African- American to lead the NRC

• Called “perhaps the ultimate role model for women in science” by Time magazine

Mary Putnam Jacobi 1842 – 1906 • A doctor who raised the level of medical education for women and helped overcome the public doubt about women’s capabilities to study and practice medicine

• An activist in the women’s suffrage movement, she founded the Association for the Advancement of Medical Education for Women in 1872

Frances Wisebart Jacobs 1843 – 1892 • The Mother of Charities, she helped found what today is Untied Way

• Established National Jewish Hospital, the leading respiratory hospital in the nation

Mae Jemison 1956 –

• The first African-American woman in space

• Trained as an engineer and medical doctor, she actively encourages women and minorities to enter scientific fields

Mary “Mother” Harris Jones 1837 – 1930

• Began her career as a labor organizer at age fifty; specialized in creating a public outcry over inhuman treatment of workers

• Dramatized the evils of child labor; worked to organize miners in Colorado and West ; and insisted on the workers’ rights to decent treatment and wages

Barbara Jordan 1936 – 1996 • The first African-American women to be elected and re- elected to Congress from the ; first African- American to serve in the State Senate

• First woman and first African- American to give the keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention. Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Helen Keller 1880 – 1968 • Deaf, blind and mute, she became the most prominent advocate for the needs and rights of the handicapped

• Her story and that of her teacher, Macy, have inspired millions worldwide

Leontine T. Kelly 1920 – 2012

• Pioneering religious leader, the first African-American woman elected bishop in her denomination

• An activist for social justice in the U.S. and worldwide whose work has been recognized by many awards

Susan Kelly-Dreiss 1942 –

• An activist who has worked to enact legal protections, implement innovative services and heighten public awareness on behalf of battered women and their children

• Has mentored and motivated generations of women to carry out the work of the Battered Women’s Movement

Frances Oldham Kelsey 1914 – 2015 • Physician and pharmacologist who refused to approve the drug , saving countless women in the U.S. from giving birth to terribly deformed children

• This led to significant strengthening of drug legislation in the U.S.

Jean Kilbourne 1943 – • Her work studying images of women in advertising has transformed the way organizations and educational institutions around the world address problems

• Connected advertising to and eating disorders; launched media literacy as a way to prevent problems Nannerl O. Keohane 1940 – • The first contemporary woman to head both a major women’s college and a great research University

• Her leadership of the largest fundraising drive in the history of American private colleges, while at Wellesley, overturned the conventional wisdom that women weren’t interested in philanthropy or supporting higher education

Billie Jean King 1943 –

• One of the most celebrated tennis players of the 20th century who has dedicated her life to breaking barriers both on and off the tennis court

• Dominated the tennis world for more than 20 years; her win of the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match was a turning point for women in athletics proving that skill was not dependent on gender

Coretta Scott King 1927 –2006

• One of the most celebrated champions of human and civil rights, she worked in partnership with her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

• Recognizing the importance of women to the movement she said, “Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe that you must become its soul.”

Julie Krone 1963 – • The leading female Thoroughbred horse racing of all time

• The first woman to win a Triple Crown event, she was the first woman inducted into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross 1926 – 2004 • Physician (who studied medicine against her father’s wishes) who identified the five now widely accepted stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance

• Her worldwide best seller On Death and Dying helped western populations talk openly about death and dying for the first time

Maggie Kuhn 1905 – 1995

• Established the Gray Panthers, codifying the message that older people needed to seize control of their lives and be in the active world working for issues they believed in

• Started a contemporary cultural revolution that resulted in enactment of significant national reforms for nursing homes, forced retirement provisions, and combatting elder fraud

Stephanie Kwolek 1923 – 2014

• Invented Kevlar, a product used in hundreds of products that has saved thousands of lives

• Recipient of 17 patents, has received the National Medal of Technology and has been inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame

Susette La Flesche 1854 – 1903 • The first Native American lecturer and the first published Native American artist and writer

• A tireless campaigner for Native American rights

Winona LaDuke 1959 – • Native American land rights activist, environmentalist, economist, politician and author who has spent her career working on a national level to advocate and raise public support and create funding for environmental groups

• Founder of the White Earth Land Recovery Project and the Indigenous Women’s Network

Dorothea Lange 1895 – 1965

• Pioneering documentary photographer whose photographs of the farmers and migrant workers during the have become legend

• First woman awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Photography; sensitized American and the world to the injustices of Japanese- American internment during World War II

Carlotta Walls LaNier 1942 –

• At age 14, the youngest of the – the nine African-American students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas

• Recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal; dedicated to ensuring equal access to education for children of color

Allie B. Latimer 1929 –

• Instrumental in organizing Federally Employed Women whose objective is equality of opportunity for all

• First African-American and first woman to serve as General Counsel of a major federal agency as well as the first African-American and first woman to attain the salary level of G-18 at the General Services Administration.

Emma Lazarus 1849 – 1887 • Author and poet who advocated against anti- Semitism

• The words from her most famous work The New Colossus are engraved on a plaque at the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Lilly Ledbetter 1938 – • An activist in the battle for equal pay. She saw President Obama sign the Fair Pay Act into law in 2009

• Although she began her career at the same salary as her male colleagues, over time, she was earning less. Her formal complaint with the EEOC led to federal legislation

Mildred Robbins Leet 1922 – 2011

• A philanthropist who was one of the founders of United Cerebral Palsy

• Best known for creating Trickleup, Inc that assists the world’s poorest build their own businesses, educate themselves and their children. One of the leaders in the micro- enterprise movement

Maya Y. Lin 1959 –

• As a 21-year old student, won the design competition for the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial

• Her architectural designs incorporate the themes of love of nature, landscape and the environment while utilizing technological elements

Anne Morrow Lindbergh 1906 – 2001 • The first woman in the U.S. to obtain a glider pilot license; first woman to receive the National Geographic Hubbard Gold Medal for her piloting and navigational skills

• Also a writer, she wrote bestsellers and won prizes for her work

Patricia Locke 1928 – 2001 • A preserver of Native American language and culture, she helped organize 17 tribal colleges

• The first Native American woman to be elected to an office of the Baha’i National Spiritual Assembly

Belva Lockwood 1830 – 1917

• The first woman to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court, she worked for suffrage, property law reforms, and world peace

• Ran for president through the National Equal Rights Party in 1884

Juliette Gordon Low 1860 – 1927

• Founder of Girl Scouts of the USA, the largest organization for girls in the world

• Served as the first president of Girl Scouts and gave freely of her money to support the organization in its early years

Shannon Lucid 1943 – • A member of the first class to admit women

• First woman to hold an international record for the most flight hours in orbit; until 2007, held the record for the most flight hours in orbit by any woman in the world

Mary Lyon 1797 – 1849 • Founded Mount Holyoke which today is and the model for institutions of higher education for women in the U.S.

• Empowered women through her words “Go where no one else will go, do what no one else will do.”

Mary Mahoney 1845 – 1926

• First African-American woman to study and work as a professionally trained nurse.

• A longtime advocate for women’s suffrage, she is believed to be one of the first women to register and vote in Boston after passage of the 19th Amendment

Wilma Mankiller 1945 – 2010

• The first woman Principal Chief of the Nation

• Worked to improve health care, education, utilities management, and tribal government

Philippa Marrack 1945 –

• One of the world’s leading research scientists investigating T-cells, the cells that help the body fight off disease

• Her work has contributed to medicine’s understanding of vaccines, HIV and other immune disorders; discovered superantigens – toxins such as those that cause toxic shock syndrome

Barbara McClintock 1902 – 1992 • America’s most distinguished cytogeneticist; Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine in 1983

• She discovered that genetic information could transpose from one chromosome to another; forty years later her “jumping gene” theory had become accepted universally

Katharine Dexter McCormick 1875 – 1967 • As an officer of the National Woman’s Suffrage Association, she helped secure ratification of the 19th Amendment

• Subsequently, she funded the essential research that led to the discovery and development of “the pill”

Louise McManus 1896 – 1993

• The first nurse to earn a PhD, she established schools of nursing in colleges and universities which allowed nursing science to evolve

• Widely recognized as the major figure in furthering the professionalization of nursing

Margaret Mead 1901 – 1978

• Her brilliant field work in anthropology and her clear style of writing and her public speaking brought advanced ideas to the public

Barbara Mikulski 1936 – • The first female Democratic U.S. Senator elected in her own right

• The longest serving female senator; she has advocated for women, education, and veterans and served as a mentor to other female Senators

Kate Millett 1934 – • A political activist who has long fought for the rights of women, gay liberation,mental patients and the elderly

• Her book fueled the second wave of the women’s movement in the U.S.

Patsy Takemoto Mink 1927 – 2002

• First woman of Japanese- American ancestry to practice law in Hawaii; first woman of color elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Asian-American Congresswoman

• Recognized as the major mover of Title IX

Maria Mitchell 1818 – 1889

• Received a gold medal from the King of Denmark for her discovery of the orbit of a new comet

• First woman member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; influenced generations of students at Vassar College as director of the observatory and professor of

Constance Baker Motley 1921– 2005 • First African-American woman elected to the New York State Senate; the first woman and first African American to be

• First African-American woman Federal Court Judge in the U.S.

Lucretia Mott 1793 – 1880 • A leading abolition and women’s rights advocate; one of the organizers of the 1848 first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls

• Her early leadership was crucial in the infancy of the women’s rights movement

Kate Mullany 1845 – 1906

• A leading labor organizer who worked for justice and opportunities for women in newly emerging industries after the Civil War

• Founded the Collar Laundry Union, the first female union in the country; later first female to hold a national labor position when elected an officer of the

Antonia Novello 1944 –

• The first woman and the first Hispanic to become the Surgeon General of the U.S.

• Recognized needs of women and infants with HIV, raised national awareness within the medical profession of domestic violence and public consciousness about underage drinking and alcohol abuse

Annie Oakley 1860 – 1926 • Probably the nation’s finest marksman and its first superstar, she performed as the of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show for more than 16 years

• Campaigned for women’s rights to hold paid employment, earn equal pay, and participate in sports

Sandra Day O’Connor 1930 – • The first female named to the U.S. Supreme Court

• Opened the door to women in the legal profession

Georgia O’Keeffe 1887 – 1986

• A uniquely American artist known for her New landscapes and lyrical flowers

Rosa Parks 1913 – 2005

• Known as “the mother of the civil rights movement”, she became famous when she refused to give up her seat on a city bus to a white man in Montgomery, ; the resulting bus boycott led to changes in segregation laws

• Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal

Ruth Patrick 1907 – 2013 • A pioneer in the field of limnology, the study of life and phenomena in freshwater bodies

• Pioneered in methods needed to monitor levels of water pollution and understand its effects

Alice Paul 1885 – 1977 • Militant women’s suffrage advocate who organized the suffrage parades, was arrested and force fed

• After passage of the 19th Amendment, worked for the Equal Rights Amendment

Nancy Pelosi 1940 –

• The first woman Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and the first woman to lead a major political party in Congress

• Instrumental in the passage of the Affordable Care Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, among others and has worked to increase the number of women in public service

Mary Engle Pennington 1872 – 1952

• A trailblazer in the implementation of the Pure Food and Drug Act, ensuring that milk, eggs, poultry and fish were safe to consume and were handled and refrigerated properly

• Bacteriologist who recommended standards for construction and efficiency of refrigerated railroad cars

Frances Perkins 1880 – 1965 • The first woman cabinet officer in the U.S. when President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed her Secretary of Labor

• Resolved to fight for better conditions for working people after witnessing the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire tragedy

Rebecca Talbot Perkins 1866 – 1956 • Assumed leadership of her family’s real estate brokerage at age 24, a time when few women were in business

• An active philanthropist and women’s rights activist who established an adoption society, fought for better schools, improvements in the courts, increased pay for workers, and expanded services for women and children

Esther Peterson 1906 – 1997

• Created the first presidential commission on women – which led to the Equal Pay Act

• Active in the labor movement, the women’s movement and the movement

Judith L. Pipher 1940 –

• An infrared astronomer; the first woman to pursue research into ultra sensitive light detection of celestial bodies

• One of the first U.S. astronomers to turn an infrared array to the skies; took the first telescopic infrared pictures of the moon; helped design the NASA

Jeannette Rankin 1880 – 1973 • The first woman elected to the U.S. Congress; served two separate terms

• A committed pacifist who was still marching in peace demonstrations in her 80s; she said “We’re half the people, we should be half the Congress”

Janet Reno 1938 – • The first female Attorney General of the U.S.

• First woman to head a country prosecutor’s office in Florida; first prosecutor to assign lawyers to collect child- support payments from deadbeat fathers; helped reform the juvenile justice system and focused attention on prevention programs for children

Ellen Swallow Richards 1842 – 1911

• The first woman professional chemist in the nation; opened up scientific education and scientific professions to women

• One of the founders of the organization that is today the American Association of University Women

Linda Richards 1841 – 1930

• Received the first diploma awarded by the nation’s first school of nursing

• Throughout her career, established and headed a large number of training schools transforming nursing into a profession

Sally Ride 1951 – 2012 • The first American woman in space

• After her time in the astronaut corps, worked to support girls’ and boys’ interest in science, math and technology

Rozanne L. Ridgway 1935 – • Served over three decades as an American foreign policy leader including as Ambassador to Finland and the German Democratic Republic

• Negotiated numerous complex multilateral and bilateral agreements on behalf of the U.S.

Edith Nourse Rogers 1881 – 1960

• The longest-serving woman in the U.S. House of Representatives; legislative accomplishments included drafting major portions of the G.I. Bill of Rights and the establishment of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC)

• Ad advocate of a 48-hour work week for women, backed equal pay for equal work and opposed child labor

Mother Mary Joseph Rogers, MM 1882 – 1955

• The founder of the Maryknoll Sisters, the first U.S.-based Catholic congregation of religious women dedicated to a global mission

• Maryknoll Sisters minister to the humanitarian needs of all people, especially the poor, regardless of race, creed or color

Eleanor Roosevelt 1884 – 1962 • The first First Lady to hold her own press conference, she also expressed her opinions in newspaper columns and radio broadcasts

• One of her proudest achievements came when she served as the U.S. Delegate to the – the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

Ernestine Rose 1810 – 1892 • One of the early influential leaders of the women’s suffrage movement; lobbied extensively for the right of married women to own property

• Lectured on behalf of women’s rights for twenty years and was called “Queen on the Platform”

Elaine Roulet 1930 –

• Founded the Providence House offering shelter for battered women and families, homeless women, and temporary housing for women released from prison

• Founded the Children’s Center at Bedford Hills (a prison) that provides support programs for mothers and their babies in prison

Wilma Rudolph 1940 – 1994

• The “fastest woman in the world” overcame polio to win three gold medals in at the Olympics

• Her story and accomplishments gave women’s track a strong boost in America

Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin 1842 – 1924 • A suffragist, abolitionist and a founder and sustainer of African-American women’s clubs

• Organized the Women’s Era Club, among the very first African-American women’s organizations; also founded a branch of the NAACP

Mary Harriman Rumsey 1881 – 1934 • The founder of The

• Helped author the ; chaired the first consumer right’s group

Florence Sabin 1871 – 1953 • The first female full professor at University; she worked on embryology and did important research on the origins of the lymphatic system

• The first woman elected to the National Academy of Science; after her retirement, this doctor reformed public health in Colorado

Sacagawea c. 1788 – unknown

• As interpreter and guide, her many skills including land survival expertise were critical to the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition

• Very calm in crises and saved valuable records, instruments and other supplies when one of the boats almost capsized

Bernice Resnick Sandler 1928 –

• A tireless advocate for educational equality for women and girls for over four decades

• Instrumental in the development, passage, and implementation of Title IX; first woman ever appointed to a Congressional committee staff to work specifically on women’s issues

Margaret Sanger 1879 – 1966 • Opened the first clinic in that provided information on

• A tireless fighter for free access to birth control after her years as a visiting nurse

Katherine Siva Saubel 1920 – 2011 • Dedicated her life to the preservation of the language and culture of her people, the Cahuilla

• Founder of the Malki Museum at the Morongo Reservation, the first Native American museum created and managed by Native Americans

Betty Bone Schiess 1923 –

• Led the successful effort to have women ordained priests in the Episcopal Church in America

• Her efforts and those of her colleagues have made it possible for girls and women to serve at all levels in the Church

Patricia Schroeder 1940 –

• During her 24 years in the U.S. Congress, she worked tirelessly to establish national family policy and was a leader in foreign and military policy

• She famously said “I have a brain and a uterus and I use both.”

Anna Jacobson Schwartz 1915 – 2012 • A research economist described as “one of the world’s greatest monetary scholars”

• Worked extensively with economist Milton Friedman and published works together; her efforts demonstrated the importance of the behavior of the money supply, forever changing the entire approach to economic policy making

Felice N. Schwartz 1925 – 1996 • Worked to provide women with better access to the workplace and especially the top levels of corporate America

• Founded Catalyst, a national organization to help women re-enter the work force and help companies find women board members

Blanche Stuart Scott 1889 – 1970

• An aviator; the first woman to drive across the U.S. and the first woman to fly in America

• Performed the lead role in the first movie made about flying; later was the first woman passenger to ride in a jet plane

Florence B. Seibert 1897 – 1991

• A scientist whose work led to an accurate test for tuberculosis and safe intravenous drug therapy

• Her developments are now the international standard

St. Elizabeth Bayley Seton 1774 – 1821 • The first American-born saint of the Roman

• Recognized as the founder of the parochial school system in the U.S.

Donna E. Shalala 1941 – • The first woman to lead a Big Ten university as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin- Madison

• Longest serving U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services; called “one of the most successful government managers of modern times”

Anna Howard Shaw 1847 – 1919

• Minister, physician, ardent feminist and master orator; first woman to receive the Distinguished Service Medal

• Worked in the temperance and suffrage movements; served as president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association; then campaigned vigorously for the to promote world peace

Catherine Filene Shouse 1896 – 1994

• A philanthropist and patron of the arts; best remembered for her establishment of the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

• First woman ever appointed to the Democratic National Committee; first chairwoman of the first prison for women

Eunice Shriver 1921 – 2009 • Served as the worldwide leader to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities

• Created ; received the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Muriel Siebert 1928 – 2013 • The “First Woman of Finance”; the first woman, among the 1,365 men to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange

• Founded her own firm; which later became the nation’s first discount brokerage; the first female Superintendent of Banking for New York State

Beverly Sills 1929 – 2007

• Made the performing arts more accessible to generations of Americans

• An operatic , she introduced the use of subtitles for all foreign language productions; first woman, the first performing artist, and the first former head of an arts company to become Chair of the for the Performing Arts

Eleanor Smeal 1939 –

• One of the co-founders of The Feminist Majority Foundation, former president of the National Organization for Women; leader in state and national campaigns for women’s rights legislation

• Dedicated to the achievement of women’s equality and human rights; first to identify the “gender gap” – the difference between how men and women vote

Bessie Smith 1894 – 1937

• A singer called “Empress of the ”; at one point the highest paid black entertainer in the country

• Sang of the black experience – suffering and joy, betrayal and courage

Margaret Chase Smith 1897 – 1995 • The first woman to serve in both houses of Congress and the first woman elected from in either house

• Served four terms in the “most exclusive men’s club in the world,” the U.S. Senate; famous for her early challenge of McCarthyism

Sophia Smith 1796 – 1870 • With her bequest, established where women were to receive an education equal to that provided to men

• Smith College has evolved to be one of the most preeminent liberal arts colleges for women in the nation

Hannah Greenebaum Solomon 1858 – 1942

• Founder of the National Council of Jewish Women

• A lifelong activist in Chicago, worked in the settlement movement, worked for women’s suffrage, established penny lunches in the schools and placed the first probation officers for juvenile delinquents in the courts

Susan Solomon 1956 –

• Atmospheric scientist who pioneered the theory explaining how and why the ozone hole occurs in Antarctica; received the National Medal of Science for her work

• Shared the Nobel Prize in 2007 with Albert Gore for her work on climate change

Elizabeth Cady Stanton 1815 – 1902 • One of the first women’s rights activists; helped organize the 1848 Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls; drafted the Declaration of Sentiments

• The author of The Woman’s Bible, she worked for women’s rights for fifty years

Gloria Steinem 1934 – • Major feminist leader who co- founded Ms. Magazine; co- founder of the Women’s Media Center; recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom

• Co-convener of the National Women’s Political Caucus; helped found the Ms. Foundation for Women

Helen Stephens 1918 – 1994

• Sports advocate who became the first woman owner/manager of an all-woman semiprofessional ball team

• Nicknamed “The Fulton Flash”, she won two gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in track and field; actively promoted exercise and working for good health

Nettie Stevens 1861 – 1912

• A biologist who determined that X and Y chromosomes were responsible for determining the sex of individuals, one of the 20th century’s major scientific breakthroughs

Lucy Stone 1818 – 1893 • An ardent abolitionist and women’s rights advocate; gifted public speaker who converted Susan B. Anthony to the cause of women’s rights

• Helped organize the women’s rights convention in Worcester, Massachusetts; took the lead in organizing the American Woman Suffrage Association

Kate Stoneman 1841 – 1925 • The first woman admitted to practice law in New York State

• Played a prominent role in the women’s suffrage movement; participated in efforts to secure women’s 1917 enfranchisement in New York State

Harriet Beecher Stowe 1811 – 1896

• Wrote ’s Cabin, which exposed the evils and suffering of enslaved people; one of the most effective pieces of reform literature ever published

Harriet Williams Strong 1844 – 1926

• Renowned inventor, agricultural entrepreneur, civil leader, philanthropist, and advocate of women’s rights and women’s education

• First woman member of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the first woman Trustee of the University of Southern Law School

Anne Sullivan (Macy) 1866 – 1936 • Her dedication and innovative teaching made it possible for to break through the formidable barriers presented by her blindness, deafness and inability to speak

• A role model for people around the world who, with Keller, raised millions of dollars for organizations that assist people with disabilities

Kathrine Switzer 1947 – • The first woman to officially enter the Boston Marathon; she has revolutionized the sport of running for women

• Worked successfully to get the women’s marathon introduced as an Olympic event; encourages women all over the world to run

Henrietta Szold 1860 – 1945

• Founder of Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, Inc.; one of the largest American women’s social action organizations

• During her 25 years in , helped bring thousands of young people from Nazi Europe to pre-state Israel

Mary Burnett Talbert 1866 – 1923

• Civil rights and anti-lynching activist, suffragist, preservationist, international human rights proponent and educator

• Pioneer in international organizing efforts, gaining a voice for African-American woman and developing black female leadership

Maria Tallchief 1925 – 2013 • One of the premiere American ballerinas of all time; one of the greatest dancers in the world; the first American ballerina to debut at the Opera; prima ballerina at the New York City Ballet for 18 years

• Native American, originally from ; received the National Medal of the Arts;

Ida Tarbell 1857 – 1944 • Transformed by introducing what today is called

• Her History of the Company, published in 1904, was a landmark work of exposé journalism, that became known as muckraking

Helen Brooke Taussig 1898 – 1986

• A cardiologist who pioneered the Blalock-Taussig operation that repaired the congenital heart problem that caused “blue babies”

• The operation is widely performed and gives infants the opportunity for a normal life

Sojourner Truth c.1797 – 1883

• Born a slave, she became an abolitionist and a women’s rights advocate

• Famous for her 1851 “Ain’t I a Woman” speech

Harriet Tubman c.1820 – 1913 • A conductor on the , she made 19 trips back to the South and rescued an estimated 300 people from slavery

• Served as a nurse, spy and scout during the Civil War

Wilma Vaught 1930 – • First woman to deploy with a Strategic Air Command bombardment wing

• First woman promoted to Brigadier General in the comptroller career field; at her retirement, she was one of only seven women generals in the Armed Forces and only one of three in the Air Force

Florence Wald 1917 – 2008

• A nurse during World War II, she brought the movement to the U.S. from Europe

• Then worked to make hospice a name and available to all

Lillian Wald 1867 – 1940

• Originated the public health nursing service and the Henry Street Settlement to meet the needs of the poor

• Helped organize other public health nursing programs in universities and for organizations; helped secure the creation of the federal Children’s Bureau in 1912

Madam C.J. Walker 1867 – 1919 • The first female African- American self-made millionaire; this entrepreneur became wealthy through her hair care and skin care products for African-American women – for whom she provided employment opportunities

• A significant philanthropist and advocate for civic, educational, and social institutions to assist African Americans

Mary Edwards Walker 1832 – 1919 • The first woman to receive the Medal of Honor in recognition of the medical services she provided during the Civil War

• A physician and Civil War field surgeon, she engendered much attention for wearing at a time when women were wearing hoop skirts; strong advocate of rights for women

Emily Howell Warner 1939 –

• First female pilot for a scheduled U.S. carrier, the first female captain, commanded the first all-female crew in the U.S.

• First woman member of the Pilots Association

Mercy Otis Warren 1728 – 1814

• One of the earliest people in the colonies to call for revolt against the British and their policies

• Poet, dramatist, satirist and historian; her plays are regarded as the first plays by an American woman

Faye Wattleton (Alyce) 1943 – • First woman to serve as president of since its founder, , and the first African American and youngest president of the organization

• Developed the organization’s extensive national grassroots advocacy network

Annie Dodge Wauneka 1910 – 1997 • Tribal leader of the Nation, she worked tirelessly to improve the health and welfare of the Navajo and reduce the incidence of tuberculosis nationwide

• The first Native American to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Angeline Grimké Weld 1805 – 1879

• The first woman to address a legislative body when she spoke to the Massachusetts State Legislature on women’s rights and abolition

• Active in the cause of women’s rights and abolition

Ida B. Wells-Barnett 1862 – 1931

• Fought to stop the lynching of African Americans, carrying her fight to the White House

• One of the founders of the NAACP and active in the Negro Women’s Club Movement; marched in suffrage parades and worked with to block the segregation of schools in Chicago

Eudora Welty 1909 – 2001 • One of the most significant writers of the 20th century

• Recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in fiction, her short stories and novels help us understand women’s views of both themselves and the men around them

Edith Wharton 1862 – 1937 • Novelist and short story writer who was known for her unflinching portrayal of the social norms of her times

• A Pulitzer Prize winner, she was the first woman to receive an honorary doctorate from

Sheila Widnall 1938 –

• First woman to head a branch of the military when she became Secretary of the Air Force in 1993

• An aerospace engineer whose accomplishments have been recognized by the ultimate honor – election to the National Academy of Engineering; she was the first woman to chair the faculty at MIT

Emma Hart Willard 1787 – 1870

• A pioneer in education for women, she founded the Troy Female Seminary, the first school for young women in the U.S

• Today the School (renamed in her honor) is still in existence and regarded as one of the nation’s leading schools for young women

Frances Willard 1839 – 1898 • Founder of the World’s Woman’s Christian Temperance Union; helped transform the role of women in nineteenth-century America

• Influential in the suffrage movement; founder and first president of the National Council of Women

Oprah Winfrey 1954 – • The first African-American woman to own her own production company; at one point television’s highest-paid entertainer

• Dedicated to eradicating child abuse, she uses her philanthropy to better lives for many

Sarah Winnemucca c.1842 – 1891

• An interpreter and peacemaker, she was also a strong advocate for the return of lands taken from her people – the Paiute

• Lobbied President Rutherford B. Hayes and Interior Secretary Carl Schurz and wrote a book about the issue

Victoria Woodhull 1838 – 1927

• The first American woman to address Congress and the first woman to run for the office of President of the United States

• She espoused radical views on achieving equal rights for women, but did briefly invigorate the women’s rights movement in the U.S.

Fanny Wright 1795 – 1852 • The first American woman to speak publicly against slavery and for the equality of women

• A rebel throughout her life, she edited a newspaper and gave public lectures (which was scandalous behavior for a woman at the time).

Martha Coffin Pelham Wright 1806 – 1875 • An early women’s rights advocate; helped plan the 1848 Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, NY

• Traveled extensively and advocated for abolition and women’s suffrage for more than twenty years; served as president of the National Woman Suffrage Association

Chien-Shiung Wu 1912 – 1997

• A physicist who radically altered modern physical theory and changed our accepted view of the structure of the universe

• The first living scientist to have an asteroid named after her; received the National Medal of Science and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences

Rosalyn S. Yalow 1921 – 2011

• The first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Medicine and the first woman to win the Lasker Prize

• She and her colleague refined radioimmunoassay – which opened many doors in the study of disease and chemical responses by tagging certain hormones or proteins

Gloria Yerkovich 1942 – • Established Child Find for locating missing/abducted children which was the prototype for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

• Her work led to the 1982 Omnibus Victims Protection Act and the Missing Children Act

Babe Didrikson Zaharias 1911 – 1956 • The female phenomenon of the 20th century who excelled at every sport she tried

• Gold medalist at the 1932 Olympics; became one of the founding members of the Ladies’ Professional Golf Association