
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
Juliette Gordon Low
Known as the founder of the Girl Scouts, Juliette Gordon Low created the largest and most successful organization for girls in the world.
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Biography
Autherine Lucy
Autherine Lucy was the first African American student to attend the University of Alabama
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Biography
Dolley Madison
Dolley Madison, the fourth First Lady of the United States, is widely remembered as the most lively of the early First Ladies.
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Biography
Ilona Maher
Ilona Maher is a trailblazing American rugby player who has become a prominent advocate for gender equity, body positivity, and the visibility of women in sports. Through her athletic achievements and influential social media presence, Maher challenges st
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Biography
Mary Eliza Mahoney
Mary Eliza Mahoney pursued a nursing career which supported these aims. She is noted for becoming the first African American licensed nurse.
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Biography
Wilma Mankiller
Wilma Mankiller is honored and recognized as the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.
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Biography
Frances Marion
The winner of two Academy Awards, Frances Marion is credited with writing more than 130 produced films during Hollywood’s silent and early sound eras.
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Biography
Sarah McBride
The first openly transgender person elected to a state senate in the U.S., Sarah McBride won a seat in the Delaware Senate on November 3, 2020.
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Biography
Barbara McClintock
Barbara McClintock’s perseverance in a male-dominated field led her to become the first woman to receive an unshared Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, inspiring future generations of scientists.
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Biography
Ruth Hanna McCormick
Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms was a Republican United States Representative from Illinois who served from 1929 to 1931.
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Patsy Mink
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.
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Biography
Gabriela Mistral
Chilean author and educator Gabriela Mistral became the first Latin American author to receive the Nobel Prize in literature.
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Biography
Maria Mitchell
Maria Mitchell was the first female astronomer in the United States and the first American scientist to discover a comet.
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Janet Mock
Janet Mock became the first transgender woman of color to write and direct an episode of television.
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Biography
Charlotte Edith Anderson Monture
Canadian Charlotte Monture moved to the US for nursing training and served in the US Army during World War I.
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Biography
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno became the first Latina woman to earn an “E.G.O.T.:” an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.
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Biography
Lucretia Mott
Lucretia Mott argued as ardently for women’s rights as for black rights, including suffrage, education, and economic aid.
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Biography
Ibtihaj Muhammad
A world-class fencer, Ibtihaj Muhammad made history as the first American to wear a hijab in Olympic competition at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro.
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Biography
Judith Sargent Murray
A prominent essayist of the American republic, Judith Sargent Murray was an early advocate of women’s equality, access to education, and the right to control their earnings.
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