Biographies generously sponsored by Susan D. Whiting.

Biographies

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

Patsy Mink was the first woman of color elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Asian-American woman to serve in Congress.

Patsy Mink

Adelina Otero-Warren, the first Hispanic woman to run for U.S. Congress and the first female superintendent of public schools in Santa Fe, was a leader in New Mexico’s woman’s suffrage movement.

Adelina "Nina" Otero-Warren

Eleanor Roosevelt grew up to become one of the most important and beloved First Ladies, authors, reformers, and female leaders of the 20th century.

Eleanor Roosevelt

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Victoria Woodhull

The first woman to run for president and the first female stock broker on Wall Street, Victoria Woodhull achieved remarkable success in finance, journalism, and politics.

Biography

Most known for her work on the top-secret Manhattan Project during World War II and her Cobalt-60 experiment that contested the law of conservation of parity, Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu’s pioneering work is regarded as a standard among physicists today.

Biography

Janet Yellen

Dr. Janet Yellen, confirmed in January 2021 as the first female Treasury Secretary of the United States, is no stranger to breaking glass ceilings.

Biography

Malala Yousafzai

At age eleven, Malala Yousafzai was already advocating for the rights of women and girls.

Biography

Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias

One of America’s foremost female athletes, Mildred "Babe” Didrikson Zaharias broke world records in multiple sports and cofounded of the LPGA.

Biography

Zitkála-Šá ("Red Bird"/Gertrude Simmons Bonnin)

Zitkála-Šá (“Red Bird”), also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin, was a Native American musician, writer and activist who fought for women's suffrage and Indigenous voting rights in the early 20th century.