National Women's History Museum

There may be a women's history museum on the Washington Mall, if some powerful and generous people have their way.
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There may be a women's history museum on the Washington Mall, if some powerful and generous people have their way. But Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney told me recently, the timing and location have yet to be determined. In the meantime, preparations, lobbying, and fundraising go on with intensity.

One recent fundraising event was held at the Mead Center of Arena Stage on May the 11th. Organizers described the event and those special women who were honored:

"Dr. France CĂłrdova Is the first woman to serve as president of Purdue University and as NASA Chief Scientist; Chief Cathy Lanier is the first woman to serve as Chief of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department and first Commanding Officer of the Department's Office of Homeland Security and Counter-Terrorism; and Dr. Ellen Ochoa is the first Hispanic woman to lead the Johnson Space Center and the first Hispanic woman to fly in space.

All these women were celebrated at the National Women's History Museum "Women Making History"- gala held at Arena Stage Monday night. Joan Bradley Wages, President & CEO of the National Women's History Museum, said "these exceptional women and their accomplishments serve as testament to the fact that gender need not be a factor in deciding what to pursue in life.
Founded in 1996, the National Women's History Museum (NWHM, Inc.) is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the general public about the diverse historic contributions of women and raising awareness about the critical need for a national women's history museum in our nation's capital. The Museum's goal is to build a world-class, permanent museum on or near the National Mall that will herald and display the collective history of American women. As the result of legislation signed into law by President Obama in December, 2014, a bi-partisan Congressional Commission for a national women's history museum has been created and charged with producing a feasible plan to include the governance, estimated cost, location, and organizational structure of the Museum. NWHM is funding the commission - the first privately funded commission for a national museum."

It may take a while to establish such a museum in the nation's capital -- it took generations to establish many of the museums and monuments already in place. But the backers of this project are determined to succeed.

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