Biographies generously sponsored by Susan D. Whiting.
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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
Biography
Anna Julia Cooper
Anna Julia Cooper was a groundbreaking educator, activist, and author who changed the trajectories of many young Black women .
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Biography
Margaret Cochran Corbin
A hero of the American Revolution, Margaret Cochran Corbin was the first woman to receive a military pension.
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Biography
Laverne Cox
A prominent actress and the first openly transgender person nominated for an Emmy, Laverne Cox has promoted visibility and awareness on behalf of the transgender community.
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Biography
Prudence Crandall
Prudence Crandall bravely defied prevailing patterns of racial discrimination when she opened one of the first schools for African American girls in Connecticut in 1833.
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Biography
Rebecca Lee Crumpler
Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first African American woman to receive a Medical Degree (MD) in the United States.
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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.
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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.
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Biography
Lois Curtis
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.
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Biography
Evelyn Y. Davis
Evelyn Y. Davis was a bold and controversial shareholder activist who, over nearly six decades, used confrontational tactics, media savvy, and questioning to challenge corporate leaders on governance, executive compensation, and board diversity.
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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.
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Biography
Agnes de Mille
Agnes de Mille was one of the preeminent American choreographers of the twentieth century.
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Biography
Jane Arminda Delano
Jane Delano was the superintendent of the Army Nurse Corps and inspired many women to become nurses around the world.
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Biography
Marlene Dietrich
Marie Dietrich was one of the most popular film and music stars of the 1930s and 1940s.
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Biography
Lucy Diggs Slowe
Lucy Diggs Slowe was an educator and administrator who paved the way for many African American women in education.
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Biography
Dorothea Dix
Dorothea Dix was an early 19th century activist who drastically changed the medical field during her lifetime.
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Biography
Georgia Douglas Johnson
Georgia Douglas Johnson was one of the most well-known Black female writers and playwrights of her time.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Biography
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart was a record-breaking female aviator whose international fame paved the way for other female pilots.
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