First Woman To ...
It never ceases to amaze me in this day and age to hear that someone is the first woman to do something. But given that we're on the verge of having our first serious female presidential candidate and possibly female president here in the United States, it bears looking into to see just where we have broken ground over the years and celebrating those milestones.
To that end, I've created this series of lenses looking at the First Woman To accomplish something in a particular field. Each of the lenses in the series is described below.
As you read through, I'm sure you'll be as amazed as I am by the dates. I'm stunned that it took so many years for women to be found in certain areas and amazed that we broke through so early in others. Enjoy!
"And I think women have come a very, very long way, but they have a long way to go."
- Lara Flynn Boyle
First Woman of the Month
Every month, I'll feature a different woman here who made history as the first female to accomplish something.
Nellie Tayloe Ross (November 29, 1876 ? December 19, 1977) was an American politician, the governor of Wyoming from 1925 to 1927, and director of the National Mint from 1933-1953. She was the first woman to serve as governor of a U.S. state. To date, she remains the only woman to have served as governor of Wyoming. She was a staunch supporter of prohibition during the 1920s.
Women Can Be ...
Adventure & Exploration: First Woman To ...
Adventure & Exploration: First Woman To ...Did you realize one of the first passengers on an airplane was a woman? Come thrill with the adventures of female aviators, mountain climbers and more!
Arts & Literature: First Woman To ...
Arts & Literature: First Woman To ...
The first woman took to the stage in 1660 and a woman sat in the director's chair as early as 1896. Learn about the drama queens, writers and artists that broke ground in this area.
Business: First Woman To ...
Business: First Woman To ...
From the small start-up to the Fortune 500, women have had a great impact on the business world. Check out these women who took over family businesses, stepped into their husbands shoes or carved out a niche from scratch.
Nobel Prize: First Woman To ...
Nobel Prize: First Woman To ...Established in 1901, it took just two years before the first woman brought home this award. In fact, she did it twice. Learn about her and the other three Nobel winners and their contributions to the world.
Politics: First Woman To ...
Politics: First Woman To ...
Hillary's run for the top job in 2008 has caused quite a stir. But did you know the first woman to try for the Presidency ran in 1872? And while America is still waiting for its first female leader, many countries have had women as president or prime minister.
Science: First Woman To ...
Science: First Woman To ...
Space, medicine, computers - all fields where women have been among the pioneers. In fact, the first woman doctor we know of was as far back as 350 BC!!
Sports: First Woman To ...
Sports: First Woman To ...
The names might be more familiar in this arena, but the accomplishments are no less great. Discover women who broke the barriers in the Olympics, horse racing, baseball and more.
Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (and What the Neighbors Thought)
Amazon Price: $14.28 (as of 07/10/2009)
As with other titles in this nicely thought-out series, Krull whets readers' appetites with brief biographies of some amazing individuals. Most of these women will be familiar to students, but a few obscure figures are introduced. The writing tends toward gossip in places. (Isabella I of Spain reportedly took only two baths in her lifetime.) Like gossip, each chapter is enticing. A full-page caricature of the subject opens each chapter. The stories are arranged chronologically, beginning with Cleopatra, who reportedly spoke eight languages, and concluding with Guatemalan leader Rigoberta Mench#, who fights for native Indian rights. "Ever After" sections reveal aftereffects of each person's contribution to history. The gaps left by the absence of Margaret Thatcher and Benazir Bhutto are filled by the more obscure likes of Nzingha, Gertrude Bell, and Aung San Suu Kyi.
First Woman: Read About Them
1001 Things Everyone Should Know About Women's History
Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
Reader review:
"This is a wonderful book that condenses 1001 things about women's history into brief segments that are easy to read and easy to remember. I have a minor in Women's Studies, so I thought I knew more about women's history than almost anyone, but Constance Jones has revealed so many things that I had never heard of that I'm amazed I never discovered some of them in my reading and research. For instance, there are ten segments described in the section about "Soldiers." Of course we all know about the women who served in WWII, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf, but I doubt that many of us knew about Dr. Mary Edwards who served as a Union Army Nurse and Surgeon during the Civil War and was the first woman to receive the U.S. Medal of Honor. Something else that I didn't know about her was that the medal was rescinded in 1917, then reinstated in 1977. Wisely, Jones has left out the better-known women soldiers, such as Joan of Arc, since the purpose is to share the historical facts of which we are probably unaware. "
"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living."
- Gail Sheehy
First Woman To: You Tell Me ...
I'm A Girl of the World
You Are Woman ...
Roar a little!!
America's Women : Four Hundred Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines
Amazon Price: (as of 07/10/2009)
Well researched and well written, America's Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines is a powerful and important book. Starting with Pocahontas and Eleanor Dare (the first female colonist), this lively and fascinating history records the changes in American women's lives and the transformations in American society from the 1580s through the 2000s.
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Me First!!
Do you know of a great "first woman" I need to highlight? Want to share why these women inspire you? Want to just leave a comment about the lens? Do so here!!
SusanVillasLewis wrote...
She's over on the politics lens. You can check her out over there.
Posted June 22, 2008
DrRichard wrote...
Hi Susan - great lens - how about Margaret Thatcher, first woman Prime Minister of England?
Posted June 22, 2008
Amanda_Blue wrote...
This is a marvelous site (and series). And incidentally, a close relative of mine was one of the first orchestral conductors: Frederique Petrides. Also Helen Gahagan Douglas was a friend, but I don't know whether she was the firat Congresswoman. Anyway, brava to you! You are probably the first woman to chronicle all the others. 5 stars.
Posted April 17, 2008
"Women are like teabags. We don't know our true strength until we are in hot water!"
- Eleanor Roosevelt
by SusanVillasLewis
Basic gal from the Dallas area who has a lot to say!! I'm working on lens related to my odd-ball interests, as well as some tying back to my husband'...
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