Biographies generously sponsored by Susan D. Whiting.

Biographies

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

Featured Biographies

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 Otero-Warren

Ana Roqué de Duprey, a prolific educator, writer, and scientist, founded the first woman’s suffrage organization in Puerto Rico in 1917.

Ana Roqué de Duprey

According to Antonia Hernández, she “went to law school for one reason: to use the law as a vehicle for social change.” Decades later, she can claim numerous legal victories for the Latinx community in voting rights, employment, and education.

Antonia Hernández

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Mary Edwards Walker

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

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Madam C.J. Walker

Madam C.J. Walker was an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist. She rose from poverty in the South to become one of the wealthiest African American women of her time.

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Mercy Otis Warren

Mercy Otis Warren was a published poet, political playwright and satirist during the age of the American Revolution.

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Martha Washington

Martha Dandridge Custis Washington was the first First Lady of the United States.

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Ida B. Wells-Barnett

Ida B. Wells-Barnett was a prominent journalist, suffragist, activist, and researcher.

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Phillis Wheatley

Despite spending much of her life enslaved, Phillis Wheatley was the first African American woman to publish a book of poems.

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Anna May Wong

Appearing in over sixty movies throughout her career, Anna May Wong was the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood.

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Malala Yousafzai

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

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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.