Biographies generously sponsored by Susan D. Whiting.

Biographies

Every woman has a story.

"The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon."

-Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings

Women have always played an active role in history. Explore some of the historical women and contemporary newsmakers that continue to impact the world. New biographies are added regularly, so check back to discover inspiring new stories!

Featured Biographies

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a skilled performer and woman guitarist, credited with the creation of rock and roll.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Toshiko Akiyoshi changed the face of jazz music over her 60-year career. As one of few women and Asian musicians in the jazz world, Akiyoshi infused Japanese culture, sounds, and instruments into her music.

Toshiko Akiyoshi

Often called the “Mother of the Blues,” Ma Rainey was known for her deep-throated voice and mesmerizing stage presence that drew packed audiences and sold hit records in the early twentieth century.

Gertrude “Ma” Rainey

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Biography

Dr. Rebecca Crumpler's "A Book on Medical Discourses"

Rebecca Lee Crumpler

Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first African American woman to receive a Medical Degree (MD) in the United States.

Biography

Celia Cruz

Celia Cruz, known as the Queen of Salsa, was an internationally acclaimed singer and dynamic stage performer from the 1940s to the start of the 21st century.

Biography

Ann Pamela Cunningham

Ann Pamela Cunningham was an early leader in historic preservation and is often credited with saving President George Washington’s estate Mount Vernon.

Biography

Lois Curtis was one of the plaintiffs in the landmark Supreme Court case Olmstead v. L.C. (1999) that established the right of individuals with disabilities to live in the least restrictive settings possible.

Biography

Sandra Day O’Connor

Sandra Day O’Connor, the first female Supreme Court Justice of the United States, was one of the most influential Americans of the 1980s and 1990s.

Biography

Agnes de Mille

Agnes de Mille was one of the preeminent American choreographers of the twentieth century.

Biography

Jane Arminda Delano

Jane Delano was the superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps and inspired many women to become nurses around the world.

Biography

Marlene Dietrich

Marie Dietrich was one of the most popular film and music stars of the 1930s and 1940s.

Biography

Lucy Diggs Slowe

Lucy Diggs Slowe was an educator and administrator who paved the way for many African American women in education.

Biography

Dorothea Dix

Dorothea Dix was an early 19th century activist who drastically changed the medical field during her lifetime.

Biography

Georgia Douglas Johnson

Georgia Douglas Johnson was one of the most well-known Black female writers and playwrights of her time.

Biography

Ladda Tammy Duckworth

As one of the first female veterans elected to the Senate, Senator Ladda Tammy Duckworth has been a tireless advocate for veterans and new mothers.

Biography

Esther Duflo

Economist Esther Duflo was on the team awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their work on global poverty issues. Duflo became the second woman to ever win the prize.

Biography

Ava DuVernay

Although she did not pick up a camera until she was thirty-two, Ava DuVernay has made history as a writer, director, and producer.

Biography

Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart was a record-breaking female aviator whose international fame paved the way for other female pilots.

Biography

Sylvia Earle

Marine biology expert Dr. Sylvia Earle holds the record for deepest walk on the sea floor, and was the first woman to lead the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

Biography

Charity Adams Earley

Educator, soldier, and psychologist, Charity Adams Earley led the first African American women’s unit of the army on a tour of duty overseas during WWII.

Biography

Mary Baker Eddy

Mary Baker Eddy founded a popular religious movement during the 19th century, Christian Science.

Biography

Ophelia Settle Egypt

Ophelia Settle Egypt was a medical social worker and women’s rights advocate who fought to make women’s and reproductive healthcare accessible to the Black communities in Southeast Washington, DC.

Biography

Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald, known as “The First Lady of Song,” was a revolutionary American jazz singer who performed all over the world.