Biographies generously sponsored by Susan D. Whiting.

Biographies

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

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a skilled performer and woman guitarist, credited with the creation of rock and roll.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Toshiko Akiyoshi changed the face of jazz music over her 60-year career. As one of few women and Asian musicians in the jazz world, Akiyoshi infused Japanese culture, sounds, and instruments into her music.

Toshiko Akiyoshi

Often called the “Mother of the Blues,” Ma Rainey was known for her deep-throated voice and mesmerizing stage presence that drew packed audiences and sold hit records in the early twentieth century.

Gertrude “Ma” Rainey

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Mary Adelaide Nutting

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.

Biography

Joyce Parrish O'Neal

Joyce Parrish O'Neal is a Civil Rights activist, social worker, and the first African American elected to the Alabama State Personnel Board.

Biography

Annie Oakley

Annie Oakley is a famous markswoman known for her sharpshooting.

Biography

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (commonly referred to by her initials, AOC) is the youngest woman and youngest Latina to ever serve in the United States Congress.

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Miné Okubo

Miné Okubo is well known for her representations of daily life and humanity in drawings depicting Japanese American internment during WWII.

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Naomi Osaka

Naomi Osaka is one of the world’s greatest tennis players, and her mental health advocacy has inspired many others to share their own stories.

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Adelina "Nina" Otero-Warren

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.

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Elizabeth Packard

After defending her sanity at trial in 1864, Packard campaigned to ensure the rights of the mentally ill as well as those of married women.

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Stacey Park Milbern

Stacey Milbern made waves in the disability justice movement through her organizing and activist efforts.

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Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat and set in motion one of the largest social movements in history, the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

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Alice Paul

A vocal leader of the 20th century women’s suffrage movement, Alice Paul advocated for and helped secure passage of the 19th Amendment.

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Ethel L. Payne

Ethel Payne is known as the First Lady of the Black Press, because of her fearlessness as a journalist and a Civil Rights activist.

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Mamie Phipps Clark

Dr. Mamie Phipps Clark was a pathbreaking psychologist whose research helped desegregate schools in the United States.

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Pocahontas

Among the most famous women in early American history, Pocahontas is credited with helping the struggling English settlers survive.

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Queen Lili‘uokalani

Queen Lili‘uokalani was the last sovereign monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

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Bernice Johnson Reagon

Bernice Johnson Reagon is a renowned composer, historian, musician, and activist.

Biography

Condoleezza Rice

Condoleezza Rice is the first African American woman to hold several positions, including Secretary of State.

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Sally Ride

Sally Ride was the first American woman in space.

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Felisa Rincón de Gautier (Doña Fela)

Felisa Rincón de Gautier, affectionately known to the public as Doña Fela, became the first female mayor of a capital city in the Americas when she was appointed mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1946.