Frances “Frankie” Kathleen Oldham Kelsey. Kelsey was universally credited with sparing the US the damage inflicted by the drug thalidomide to the human nervous system by refusing to approve the drug for distribution in the US.

Rachel Levine became the highest-ranking openly transgender government official in U.S. history when she was confirmed by the Senate as the 17th Assistant Secretary for Health in March 2021.

A dedicated public health advocate, Antonia Novello made history as the first female and first Hispanic U.S. Surgeon General in 1990.

The founder of the Mississippi Health Project and the Southeast Neighborhood House, Dr. Dorothy Ferebee provided healthcare to the most vulnerable members of the African American community.

June Almeida serves as a role model for determination and innovation. As the person to identify the first human coronavirus, scientists, and people all over the world, are indebted to her work.

Karikó’s research and perseverance proved that mRNA vaccines were possible and paved the way for the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines to end the Covid-19 Pandemic.

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

Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the “Guardian of the Glades,” led the charge to protect the Everglades and reveal their rich natural heritage to the rest of the world.

Known as the “census taker of the sky,” Annie Jump Cannon was a brilliant astronomer that revolutionized the way scientists classify stars.

Astronaut Mae Jemison became the first African American woman to travel in space.

Mary Edwards Walker is the only US woman to receive the Presidential Medal of Honor.

Nurse Florence Nightingale is best known for making hospitals a cleaner and safer place to be.

Aileen Cole Stewart became one of the first African American women to serve in the Army Nursing Corps.

Canadian Charlotte Monture moved to the US for nursing training and served in the US Army during World War I.

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

Bessie Coleman soared across the sky as the first African American, and the first Native American woman pilot.

Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress and inventor who pioneered the technology that would one day form the basis for today’s WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth communication systems

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

US Rep Frances Bolton pursued a life of philanthropy, politics, and social reform, and was a lifelong advocate of education, healthcare, and civil rights.

Mary Adelaide Nutting had a profound impact on American nursing. She was one of the key figures in modernizing the profession and her work is still influential in the field today.