ALASKA WOMEN'S HALL OF FAME 2017 Thursday, May 4, 2017 The Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame is dedicated to honoring, in Doors open at 5pm perpetuity, women whose contributions have influenced the First Baptist Church direction of Alaska in any field, including, but not limited to the arts, 1100 W. 10th Ave, Anchorage athletics, business, community service, conservation, education, Ceremony starts at 6pm Admission free. government, health, the humanities, Native affairs, philanthropy, Light refreashments served. Donations accepted. politics, theology and science, among others. For information on the ceremony call 907-279-4836. www.AlaskaWomensHallofFame.org 2017 Induction Ceremony history The Alaska Women’s The idea to create the Alaska decided to work with the UAA the assistance of volunteers in Hall of Fame is a collaborative Women’s Hall of Fame arose in Consortium Library to digitize 2010 and is available through the project of the Zonta Club of 2008 when the Alaska Women’s the Profiles of Change. The Zonta Alaska Digital Archives at Anchorage, the Alaska Women’s Network’s Board of Directors Club of Anchorage had been http://vilda.alaska.edu/. Network, YWCA Anchorage, (AWN) discussed how to use its working on developing a website The Alaska Women’s Hall the Alaska Women for Political website to honor Alaska’s women to house a “virtual Alaska women’s of Fame is a non-profit Action, the Anchorage Women’s as part of Alaska’s fifty years of wall.” The two groups decided corporation holding 501(c) Commission, the University of statehood celebration. Two ideas to collaborate and a steering (3) status. The Zonta Club of Alaska Anchorage and a large were suggested: update the 1983 committee was formed. Anchorage is responsible for the number of interested Alaska Profiles of Change, a publication maintenance of the website. women. by the Alaska Commission on the The committee developed the Status of Women; and establish a Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame, Since 2009 the Alaska Women's Together, we have created way to recognize the women who solicited nominations from across Hall of Fame has inducted 160 a place to remember and embrace shaped Alaska. AWN solicited the state, selected 50 women to women and has displayed their the strong Alaska women who ideas and the Anchorage YWCA induct on March 6, 2009 and pictures and biographies on the came before us and walk beside volunteered meeting space. launched the website that hosts the website. The data is free and used us today. biographies of the honorees. by researchers worldwide. At a meeting on August 15, 2008, attended by women from The digitization of the Profiles throughout the community, it was of Change was completed, with past inductees • Audrey Aanes • Lucy Evely Cuddy • Celia Hunter • Lael Morgan • Nell Scott • Elaine Abraham • Kathleen Michael Dalton • Katie Hurley • Ruth E. Moulton • Lidia Selkregg • Alberta Daisy • Marie Darlin • Joan Hurst • Marge Mullen • Natalya Shelikof Schenck Adams • Nora Marks Dauenhauer • Sarah Agnes James • Rie Munoz • Barbara Sweetland Smith • Annie Aghnaqa Alowa • Bettye J. Davis • Ruth Jefford • Lisa Murkowski • Hannah Solomon • Eleanor Andrews • Mahala Ashley Dickerson • Crystal Brilliant Jenne • Marie Matsuno Nash • Shirley Mae Staten • Changunak Antisarlook • Beverely D. Dunham • Katie John • Sadie Neakok • Ann Mary Stevens Andrewuk • Neva Egan • Margy K. Johnson • S Anne Newell • Arliss Sturgulewski • Jane Ruth Angvik • Dana Fabe • Marlene Johnson • Jane Vallett Sutherland • Clare Swan • Evangeline Atwood • Kay Fanning • Alice Johnstone Niebergall • Dora Sweeney • Arne Beltz • Dolly Farnsworth • Carolyn Jones • Helen Nienhueser • Nancy Sydnam, M.D. • Laura Mae Bergt • Mary Jane Fate • Dorothy M. Jones, Ph.D • Katherine Nordale • Francine Conat • Gretchen Bersch • Helen Fischer • Eliza Jones • Ruth Elin Hall Ost Lastufka Taylor • Daisy Lee Bitter • Nan Elaine Fleischer • Jewell Jones • Sarah Palin • Mary Taylor • Lydia Black • Carolyn Floyd • Mary Joyce • Ellen Paneok Pryor Thomas • Rita Blumenstein • Lucy Frey • Della Keats • Elizabeth Peratrovich • Peg Tileston • Connie Boochever • Nora Venes Guinn • Louise Kellogg • Leah Webster Peterson • Elizabeth Ann Tower, M.D. • Judith Brady • Dorothy Awes Haaland • Alice Dove Kull • Alice Petrivelli • Fran Ulmer • Alice Brown • Sandra Harper • V. Kay Lahdenpera • Ramona Gail Phillips • Pauline Utter • Daphne Elizabeth Brown • Lorene Harrison • Thelma Langdon • Verna E. Pratt • Leonie von Zesch • Tikasuk Brown • Cornelia Hatcher • Anne P. Lanier, M.D. • Sisters of Providence • Elvira Voth • Thelma Buchholdt • Hazel Heath • Janie Leask • Mary Louise Rasmuson • Helen Stoddard • Edith Bullock • Juanita Lou Helms • Lena Morrow Lewis • Sharon Richards Whaley, M.D. • Susan Butcher • Mildred Robinson • Georgianna Lincoln • Martha M. Roderick • Rosita Worl • Ellen Cashman Hermann • Kay Muriel Linton • Irene Rowan • Ada Wien • Orah Dee Clark • Diddy R. M. • Ethel Lund • Lisa Rudd • Caroline Wohlforth • L. Arlene Clay Hitchins, Ph.D. MBE • Wilda Marston • Susan Ruddy • Patricia B. Wolf • Carol Comeau • Shirley Holloway, Ph.D. • Janet McCabe • Irene Ryan • Gertrude M. Wolfe • Carolyn Covington • Joerene Savikko Hout • Blanche McSmith • Grace Berg Schaible • Virginia Hill Wood • Marvel Crosson • Frances Howard • Marie Meade • Ruth Anne Marie • Esther Wunnicke • Katharine Crittenden • Wilda Hudson • Jo Michalski Schmidt, Ph.D • Betti Cuddy • Karen L. Hunt • Emily Morgan • Jo Ryman Scott a special thank you to talking circle media Each year Talking Circle Media has documented the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, allowing us to achieve our goal of honoring, in perpetuity, women whose contributions have influenced the direction of Alaska. 2 2017 Induction Ceremony Dixie (Johnson) Belcher Dixie Belcher has been and between Russia and the U.S. She for re-integration from prison. continues to be a tireless and founded "CAMAI" in 1987 to Belcher’s activism continues today, conscientious visionary for open that border and lectured using music and environmental achieving political and social extensively throughout the U.S., awareness through Turning the change through music, which including lobbying in Washington Tide, a non-profit group focused brings people together in unique D.C. and Moscow. Her success on education about the effects ways. Belcher’s childhood included meant reunions for indigenous of pollution, acidification and connections with the Salvation families on both sides who hadn’t warming on the world’s oceans. Army, and her nominator says seen each other in forty years. She is active in Ocean Beat, she’s been "banging the drum" for As a former Girl Scout leader a program that brings youth in issues that move her ever since! and outdoor enthusiast, Belcher different countries together via Belcher organized Juneau’s St. Paul formed the Alaska Wilderness the internet to sing together with Singers, a 36-member folk rock Experience in 1979 for teens to a goal of raising awareness and Achievement in: group that performed in the 1970s learn environmental awareness inspiring action. Activism for throughout Alaska and Canada. with a focus on indigenous Native Belcher is an international Social and Her later musical enterprises culture. Over her lifetime, she speaker and a published author and Political Change included Performing Artists for founded or co-founded several is the recipient of several honors 1940 - Peace, bringing together Siberia public service organizations, from the Alaska State Legislature and Alaska families that had been including Juneau Hospice, homes as well as the recipient of the Soviet separated during the Cold War for troubled teens, prison inmate Peace Award. by the Bering Straits boundary programs, and a halfway house Mary Kathryn "Kay" Brown Mary Kathryn "Kay" Brown Representatives from Anchorage. behalf of civil rights and social has championed progressive She chaired subcommittees and justice. It noted that Brown had ideals throughout a 40-year held leadership positions as a fought steadfastly "for the rights of career spanning service in state 10-year Finance Committee individuals in the face of annual government, the non-profit sector, member, and was a co-chair of the attempts by many of her peers in and the media. Brown has served bi-partisan Anchorage Caucus. both political parties and in both as a state legislator, Director of the While serving in the House, houses of the Alaska Legislature to State of Alaska Division of Oil and Brown helped pass legislation legislate away the liberties that we Gas, and Executive Director of the on fiscal policy, environmental Alaskans of the Last Frontier hold Alaska Democratic Party. She has protection, domestic violence, sacrosanct." also been a reporter, editor, and privacy, housing, health, and After retiring from the author. energy conservation. Brown was legislature Brown, continued to Achievement in: Achievements impacting an outspoken advocate for civil be active in progressive politics by Public Policy Alaska include implementation of liberties, women’s rights, and the recruiting, training and electing and Politics oil and gas policies to maximize poor and disadvantaged. many public officials to national, the state’s income, fighting for "I tried to be a voice for those state and local positions. She said 1950 - open meetings and access to public who didn’t have a voice," she said. her greatest accomplishment has records, and her work establishing The Alaska Civil Liberties been to empower others to run for the Constitutional