Celebrating Women Firsts

In honor of our founder, the first female Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor, we are featuring other women who were pioneers in their fields. As Justice O’Connor shared, “It’s nice to be first, but don’t be the last.” These women broke barriers, reshaped history, and provided an example for generations that followed.

Mary Ellen Pleasant: Fortune, Freedom, and a Fight for Equal Rights

How a shrewd Gold Rush businesswoman built a fortune, backed the abolitionist cause, and took racial exclusion in ...

Luzena Stanley Wilson: Rebuilding a Life in Gold Rush California

How a Missouri farmwife turned a biscuit, a hotel, and a hard-won legal right into a life that ...

Susan Ahn Cuddy: Breaking Barriers in Uniform and in Intelligence

Susan Ahn Cuddy, a Navy Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, or WAVES, poses in uniform in 1942 ...

Honoring the Legacy of Susan B. Anthony and the Women’s Suffrage Movement

On November 5, 1872, Susan B. Anthony cast a vote in the presidential election, an act that would ...

Ella Fitzgerald: The First Lady of Song

Ella Fitzgerald, affectionately known as the “First Lady of Song,” was one of the most extraordinary vocalists in ...

Elizabeth Blackwell: A Trailblazer Who Defied the Odds

Imagine being the only woman in a room full of men, all of whom believe you don’t belong ...

Sally Ride: Pioneering Astronaut and Champion for Women in STEM

Dr. Sally Ride holds an indelible place in history as the first American woman to travel to space, ...

Jeanette Rankin: The First Woman in Congress

Jeanette Rankin was not just the first woman elected to the United States Congress—she was a woman of ...

Frances Perkins: The Woman Who Changed Work in America

Frances Perkins wasn’t just a politician—she was a fighter for working people. She believed that everyone deserved fair ...