The National Women's Hall of Fame announced its 2015 Inductees on March 10, 2015. These 10 inspirational women will be formally inducted October 2-4, 2015 in Seneca Falls, New York, the home of the National Women's Hall of Fame and the birthplace of women's rights. Match these five 2015 Inductees with their accomplishments.
____ 1. The youngest of the Little Rock Nine, at fourteen years of age she integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.
____ 2. In 1982, as a promise to her dying sister, she launched what is today known as Susan G. Komen which has raised over $2.6 billion for breast cancer research, education and health services.
____ 3. She founded the Junior League, today one of the oldest, largest, and most effective women's volunteer organizations in the world, encompassing more than 150,000 women in 292 Leagues in four countries.
____ 4. She transformed the art of dance, training and inspiring generations of dancers and choreographers.
____ 5. A former president of the National Organization for Women, and publisher of Ms. Magazine, her life and work have been dedicated to the achievement of women's equality and human rights.
A. Martha Graham
B. Carlotta Walls LaNier
C. Eleanor Smeal
D. Mary Harriman Rumsey
E. Nancy Brinker
From its roots in 1901 from a gathering of 80 debutantes, the Junior League today has grown to encompass more than 150,000 women in 292 Leagues in four countries. One of the oldest, largest, and most effective women's volunteer organizations in the world, the League was the idea of Mary Harriman Rumsey. She wanted young women of the day to become interested in the Settlement Movement and brought them together to listen to lectures and receive training. Today, many women leaders trace their community activism back to their days in the Junior League.
Martha Graham's impact on the art of dance has been compared to the impacts of Stravinsky, Picasso and Frank Lloyd Wright to the fields of music, painting, and architecture, respectively. She transformed dance, revitalizing the art form and expanding it around the world. Graham trained and inspired generations of dancers and choreographers. She introduced the Graham technique which grew out of the movement vocabulary she introduced for each new work. The first to integrate her company, Graham pioneered in the use of moving scenery, using props as symbols, and combining speech with dance.
Although her actions are considered a pure demonstration of bravery and courage, 14-year old Carlotta Walls LaNier primarily wanted to get the best education possible when she decided to enter Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957. The youngest of the Little Rock Nine, she and the other African-American students were escorted to school for a year by the Army's 101st Airborne Division, as ordered by President Eisenhower. The following year, Little Rock's school administration closed all of the high schools to prevent further integration. LaNier was eventually able to graduate from Central High School. She is the recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal.
A former president of the National Organization for Women and the publisher of Ms. Magazine, Eleanor Smeal has dedicated her life to the achievement of women's equality and human rights. The Founder of the Feminist Majority and Feminist of the Year Award, Smeal coined the term "the gender gap" - the difference in which women and men vote - and popularized its use in the analysis of voting trends to enhance women's voting clout. She has been pivotal in the passage of key legislation for women's equality, has pushed to make Social Security pensions more equitable, and has worked to close the wage gap.
With a promise to her dying sister in 1982, Nancy Brinker launched the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Since its inception, what is today known as Susan G. Komen has raised over $2.6 billion for research, education, and health services. It is the largest breast cancer charity in the world. Brinker pioneered the concept of cause-related marketing and established the color pink as the iconic representation for breast cancer. Hundreds of global and national companies are Komen sponsors. The organization is dedicated to saving lives and ending breast cancer forever.
Learn about more she-roes and celebrate amazing women. Many great women are profiled in the book Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America. We applaud the accomplishments of these 2015 Inductees and look forward to their comments at another inspiring induction in October.
(answers: 1-B, 2-E, 3-D, 4-A, 5-C)