Established | 1979 |
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Website | Arizona Women's Hall of Fame |
The Arizona Women's Hall of Fame recognizes women natives or residents of the U.S. state of Arizona for their significant achievements or statewide contributions. In 1979, the office of Governor Bruce Babbitt worked with the Arizona Women's Commission to create the Hall of Fame. The first inductees were in October 1981. During its first decade, the Hall of Fame was overseen by the Arizona Historical Society and the Arizona Department of Library, Archives and Public Records. A steering committee would each year select a varying number of women to be inducted. The 1991 inclusion of Planned Parenthood creator Margaret Sanger resulted in disapproval being heard from some in the Arizona Legislature, and funding dried up. With the lone exception of María Urquides in 1994, there were no Hall of Fame inductees for over a decade. Inductions finally resumed in 2002, when the Hall of Fame has only inducted new honorees every two years. [1] The award returned to being annual in 2018.
In 2023, AZWHF created a scholarship awarded to an individual pursuing a degree in a museum program or a history discipline with an emphasis on women. [2]
As of 2024, sponsorship of the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame is provided by Arizona Humanities, the Arizona Secretary of State, the Arizona State Capital Museum, Arizona State Libraries and Archives, Arizona Heritage Center at Papago Park, SRP, Arizona Community Foundation, PBS - Horizonte, the Arizona Historical Society, C.L. Russell, and Front Doors. [3]
Name | Image | Birth–Death | Year | Area of achievement | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
LaVerne Williams | (1922–2018) | 2023 | Bisbee politician and community organizer | [4] | |
Eleanor Ragsdale | (1926–1998) | 2023 | American civil rights activist | [5] | |
Theodora Marsh | (1867–1936) | 2023 | Businesswoman and politician | [6] | |
Terri Cruz | (1927–2017) | 2023 | Prominent community advocate and activist | [7] | |
Octaviana J. Trujillo | 2023 | Activist bringing educational reform and change to indigenous people of Arizona | [8] | ||
Emma Torres | 2023 | Co-founder and Executive Director of Campesinos Sin Fronteras | [9] | ||
Denise Resnik | 2023 | President/CEO of First Place AZ, co-founder of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center, and founder and CEO of DRA Collective | [10] | ||
Diana Yazzie Devine | 2023 | CEO of Native American Connections | [11] | ||
Dosia Carlson | (1930–2021) | 2022 | Pastor, composer of religious hymns, disability and geriatric rights advocate, professor, and writer | [12] | |
Sheila Grinell | 2022 | Science communication and co-developer of the concept of interactive concept museums | [12] | ||
Edna Landin | (1897–1967) | 2022 | Led the revitalization of Tombstone, Arizona | [12] | |
Janet Napolitano | (b. 1957) | 2022 | 21st governor of Arizona from 2003 to 2009 and third United States secretary of homeland security, and president of the University of California | [12] | |
Victoria Mary Stephens | (b. 1951) | 2022 | First Native American woman to earn a doctor of medicine degree in the state of Arizona and orthopedic surgeon | [12] | |
Pearl Tang | (1922–2021) [13] | 2022 | First Asian-American physician who began pre-natal clinics, maternity, and infant care that greatly decreased infant mortality in Arizona | [12] | |
Barbara Barrett | (1950-) | 2021 | Political advisor to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, a member of the U.S. Afghan Women's Council and President of the International Women's Forum | [14] | |
Armida Guerena Bittner | (1938–2022) | 2021 | Educator | [15] | |
Mary Black | (1950–2020) | 2021 | Founder and CEO of Black Family & Child Services | [16] | |
Margie Emmerman | 2021 | Executive Director of the Arizona Mexico Commission, Policy Advisor for Latin America and Mexico, Director of Tourism and Director of the Department of Commerce | [17] | ||
Jane Dee Hull | (1925–2020) | 2021 | Governor of Arizona | [18] | |
Gerda Weissmann Klein | (1924–2022) | 2021 | Holocaust survivor | [19] | |
Betsey Bayless | (b. 1944) | 2020 | Arizona Secretary of State | [20] | |
Jana Bommersbach | (1945–2024) | 2020 | Journalist | [21] | |
Betty Fairfax | (1918–2010) | 2020 | Philanthropist see Betty H. Fairfax High School | [22] | |
Jean E. Fairfax | (1920–2019) | 2020 | Activist and philanthropist, Director of Community Services of the NAACP from 1965 to 1984 | [23] | |
Gracia Liliana Fernandez | (1875–1957) | 2020 | Education | [24] | |
Michele Halyard | 2020 | Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Mayo Clinic | [25] | ||
Pauline O'Neill | (1865–1961) | 2020 | Suffragist | [26] | |
Karrin Taylor Robson | (b. 1964/1965) | 2020 | Arizona Board of Regents founder of Arizona Strategies | [27] | |
Catherine Steele | 2020 | Teacher and academic administrator working with the San Carlos Apache community | [28] | ||
Carolyn Warner | (1930–2018) | 2020 | Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction | [29] | |
Shelley Cohn | 2019 | Former chair Arizona Community Foundation, Arizona Commission on the Arts | [30] | ||
Kate Cory | (1861–1958) | 2019 | Photographer, sculptor, painter and muralist | [31] | |
Emma Lee French | (1836–1897) | 2019 | Established and maintained Lee's Ferry on the Colorado River | [32] | |
Sharon Harper | 2019 | President, CEO and co-founder of Plaza Companies | [32] | ||
Guadalupe Huerta | (1920–2000) | 2019 | Arizona lobbyist for the elderly in Washington during the Clinton administration | [32] | |
Cindy Hensley McCain | (b. 1954) | 2019 | Board Chair of the McCain Institute | [32] | |
Rosa Lyons McKay | (1881–1934) | 2019 | First female legislator from Cochise County | [32] | |
Barbara Rodriguez Mundell | (b. 1955) | 2019 | First female and first Hispanic to be selected as Presiding Judge of the Maricopa County Superior Court. | [32] | |
Erma Bombeck | (1927–1996) | 2018 | Columnist, author | [33] | |
Josefina Franco | (1897–1972) | 2018 | Newspaper owner, editor, community leader | [34] | |
Maria Garcia | (1898–unknown) | 2018 | Community activist | [34] | |
Margaret Injasoulian | (1936–2015) | 2018 | Media and community leader | [34] | |
Alison Levine | (b. 1966) | 2018 | Mountain climber, explorer, author | [35] | |
Bridgie M. Porter | (1929–2001) | 2018 | Arizona Legislature | [34] | |
Mary Jo West | 2018 | Broadcaster | [34] | ||
Rebecca Dallis | (1896–1971) | 2017 | Educator | [36] | |
Sister Clare Dunn | (1934–1981) | 2017 | First US nun in public office, only nun to serve in the Arizona State Legislature (1974–1981). | [36] | |
Gladys McGarey | (b. 1920) | 2017 | M.D., M.D.H, co-founded the American Holistic Medical Association (AHMA) | [36] | |
Clara M. Schell | (1872–1955) | 2017 | First female optometrist in the Territory of Arizona | [36] | |
Louise Serpa | (1925–2012) | 2017 | Rodeo photographer | [36] | |
Christine Kajikawa Wilkinson | (b. 1944) | 2017 | First minority female Vice President in the history of Arizona State University | [36] | |
Julia Zozaya | (1926–2004) | 2017 | Vice-president for both the National Federation for the Blind and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). In addition, Julia owned and operated the first 24 /7 Spanish-speaking FM radio station in Phoenix. | [36] | |
Marietta Bryant | (1911–2003) | 2015 | African American teacher who brought a suit against the school district that closed her school | [37] | |
Daisy Moore | (1908–1985) | 2015 | African American teacher who brought a suit against the school district that closed her school | [38] | |
Lorraine W. Frank | (1923–2005) | 2015 | Founder and first executive director of the Arizona Humanities Council | [39] | |
Louise Foucar Marshall | (1864–1956) | 2015 | First female professor in Arizona | [40] | |
Helen K. Mason | (1912–2003) | 2015 | Founder and executive director of the Black Theatre Troupe | [41] | |
Lucy Sikorsky | (1899–1972) | 2015 | Physician | [42] | |
Rose E. Collom | (1870–1956) | 2013 | Botanist and authority in the native plants of Arizona; Mentzelia collomiae named for her | [43] | |
Jean Chaudhuri | (1937–1997) | 2013 | Muscogee-Creek activist, author and storyteller | [44] | |
Helen Sekaquaptewa | (1898–1990) | 2013 | Hopi author and matriarch of the Eagle Clan | [45] | |
Jacque Yelland Steiner | (1929–2003) | 2013 | Legislator, Founder of the Children's Action Alliance | [46] | |
Dorothy Elaine Powell | (1921–2003) | 2013 | Community and social activist, advocate for elderly | [47] | |
Helene Thomas Bennett | (1901–1988) | 2010 | First woman elected to the Yuma School Board, founding member of Arizona Public Health Association | [48] | |
Alice M. Birdsall | (1880–1958) | 2010 | Arizona's second female attorney | [49] | |
Pauline Bates Brown | (1901–1963) | 2010 | Journalist | [50] | |
Jean Maddock Clark | (1909–1991) | 2010 | Educator, scout leader, first women in Arizona to be awarded the Golden Eaglet from the Girl Scouts of the USA | [51] | |
Anne E. Lindeman | (1932–2001) | 2010 | Arizona House of Representatives, Arizona Senate | [52] | |
Betty Accomazzo | (1926–1989) | 2008 | Author, editor, 1983 Inductee National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame | [53] | |
Katharine Bartlett | (1907–2001) | 2008 | Anthropologist associated with Museum of Northern Arizona | [54] | |
C. Louise Boehringer | (1878–1956) | 2008 | First female Superintendent of Schools, Yuma County | [55] | |
Sister Kathleen Clark | (1919–2003) | 2008 | Roman Catholic nun who established Casa de los Ninos, a nursery for abused infants and toddlers | [56] | |
Jessie Gray Bevan | (1872–1963) | 2006 | Arizona House of Representatives | [57] | |
Lucretia Breazeale Hamilton | (1908–1986) | 2006 | Botanist, illustrator | [58] | |
Ethel Maynard | (1905–1980) | 2006 | First African American woman elected to the Arizona state legislature | [59] | |
Patricia Ann McGee | (1926–1994) | 2006 | President, Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe, granddaughter of Viola Jimulla | [60] | |
Polly Rosenbaum | (1899–2003) | 2006 | Arizona's longest-serving state senator | [61] | |
Veora Johnson | (1910–2001) | 2004 | Educator | [62] | |
Louise Lincoln Kerr | (1892–1977) | 2004 | Musician | [63] | |
Winona E. Montgomery | (1898–1990) | 2004 | Educator | [64] | |
Clara Lee Tanner | (1905–1997) | 2004 | Anthropologist, authority on Southwest indigenous culture | [65] | |
Mary Elizabeth Post | (1841–1934) | 2002 | Educator | [66] | |
Annie Dodge Wauneka | (1910–1997) | 2002 | Navajo Tribal Council, worked to eradicate tuberculosis on the reservation, awarded the Medal of Freedom by Lyndon B. Johnson on December 6, 1963 | [67] | |
Maria Urquides | (1908–1994) | 1994 | Educator | [68] | |
Margaret Bell Douglas | (1880–1963) | 1991 | Botanist, horticulturalist | [69] | |
Margaret Taylor Hance | (1923–1990) | 1991 | First female Mayor of Phoenix | [70] | |
Polingaysi Qöyawayma (Elizabeth Q. White) | (1892–1990) | 1991 | Hopi who converted to Christianity, became educated in white schools, and returned to teach on the Hopi Reservation | [71] | |
Margaret Sanger Slee | (1879–1966) | 1991 | Birth control advocate | [72] | |
Ola Young | (1869–1966) | 1991 | Early settler in Pleasant Valley, postmistress, rancher | [73] | |
Clara Osborne Botzum | (1894–1986) | 1990 | Arizona House of Representatives | [74] | |
Vernell Coleman | (1918–1990) | 1990 | Community activist | [75] | |
Josephine Brawley Hughes | (1839–1926) | 1990 | Early settler and wife of Arizona Governor L. C. Hughes | [76] | |
Elizabeth Shannon | (1906–1985) | 1990 | Educator | [77] | |
Minnie McFarland Stevens | (1911–1986) | 1990 | First woman creel census taker, operated the Sterling Springs fish hatchery for twenty-seven years | [78] | |
Florence Brookhart Yount | (1909–1988) | 1990 | Physician | [79] | |
Guess Eleanor Birchett | (1881–1979) | 1989 | The Birdlady of Tempe | [80] | |
Polly Hicks Brown | (1883–1966) | 1989 | Rancher, business owner, became a rodeo queen at age 83 | [81] | |
Jessie Benton Evans | (1866–1954) | 1989 | Artist | [82] | |
Mary "Mollie" E. Fly | (1847–1925) | 1989 | Photographer, wife of C. S. Fly | [83] | |
Elizabeth S. Oldaker | (1884–1975) | 1989 | Historic preservationist | [84] | |
Minna Vrang Orme | (1892–1970) | 1989 | Founder of The Orme School | [85] | |
Grace Chapella | (1874–1980) | 1988 | Hopi potter | [86] | |
Josephine W. Goldwater | (1875–1966) | 1988 | Mother of Barry Goldwater, Arizona's first female golf champion | [87] | |
Hallie Bost Wright Hopkins | (1885–1978) | 1988 | Farmer | [88] | |
Sister Clara Otero | (1850–1905) | 1988 | Educator, Roman Catholic nun | [89] | |
Thamar Richey | (1858–1937) | 1988 | Educator | [90] | |
Mary V. Riley | (1908–1987) | 1988 | First female elected to the White Mountain Apache Tribal Council | [91] | |
Eulalia "Sister" Bourne | (1897–1984) | 1987 | Author, educator, rancher | [92] | |
Ann-Eve Mansfeld Johnson | (1908–1981) | 1987 | Historic preservationist, children's advocate | [93] | |
Abbie W. Keith | (1888–1984) | 1987 | Arizona Cattle Growers Association | [94] | |
Jessie Harper Linde | (1887–1965) | 1987 | Patron of the arts, co-founder American Association of Concert Managers and the Salt River Valley Community Concert Association | [95] | |
Hattie Greene Lockett | (1880–1962) | 1987 | Author, rancher | [96] | |
Clara T. Woody | (1885–1981) | 1987 | Collector of Arizona history | [97] | |
Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter | (1869–1956) | 1986 | Architect who designed multiple structures in the Grand Canyon National Park | [98] | |
Helen Congdon D'Autremont | (1889–1966) | 1986 | Founder Tucson chapter of the League of Women Voters; founding trustee of Prescott College, co-founder Tucson Medical Center, co-founder Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | [99] | |
Minnie K. Guenther | (1890–1982) | 1986 | Missionary to the White Mountain Apache Tribe | [100] | |
Viola Jimulla | (1878–1966) | 1986 | First chieftess of Yavapai tribe | [101] | |
Nampeyo | (1860–1942) | 1986 | Hopi potter | [102] | |
Ruth Reinhold | (1902–1985) | 1986 | Aviator | [103] | |
Clarissa Winsor | (1880–1974) | 1986 | Historic preservationist; curator of the Yuma Territorial Prison museum | [104] | |
Ida Redbird | (1892–1971) | 1985 | Master Maricopa potter | [105] | |
Sarah Herring Sorin | (1861–1914) | 1985 | First woman attorney in Arizona and the first woman to try a case in front of the United States Supreme Court unassisted by a male attorney | [106] | |
Grace M. Sparkes | (1893–1963) | 1985 | Historic preservationist, tourism booster, community organizer | [107] | |
Louisa Wade Wetherill | (1877–1945) | 1985 | Authority on Navajo culture | [108] | |
Rachel Emma Allen Berry | (1859–1948) | 1984 | Arizona House of Representatives, first woman in the United States elected to a state legislature | [109] | |
Nellie Cashman | (1845–1925) | 1984 | Restaurateur, advocated against violence and against public hangings, caregiver to orphans | [110] | |
Sallie Davis Hayden | (1842–1907) | 1984 | Rancher | [111] | |
Elsie Toles | (1888–1957) | 1984 | First woman superintendent of public instruction | [112] | |
Carmen Soto Vasquez | (1861–1934) | 1984 | Founder of El Teatro Carmen | [113] | |
Mary Bernard Aguirre | (1844–1906) | 1983 | Educator | [114] | |
Angela Hutchinson Hammer | (1870–1955) | 1983 | Newspaper publisher | [115] | |
Laura E. Herron | (1892–1966) | 1983 | Educator, physical education | [116] | |
Edith Stratton Kitt | (1878–1968) | 1983 | Historian | [117] | |
Ann Cornwall Neal | (1888–1972) | 1983 | Community activist | [118] | |
Jane H. Rider | (1889–1981) | 1983 | Arizona's first female civic engineer | [119] | |
Nellie T. Bush | (1888–1963) | 1982 | Riverboat pilot, justice of the peace, Arizona House of Representatives, Arizona Senate | [120] | |
Eulalia Elias | (1788–1865) | 1982 | Rancher | [121] | |
Ana Frohmiller | (1891–1971) | 1982 | Politician | [122] | |
Maie Bartlett Heard | (1868–1951) | 1982 | Co-founder Heard Museum | [123] | |
Frances Lillian Willard Munds | (1866–1948) | 1982 | Women's suffrage movement, member Arizona Senate | [124] | |
Placida Garcia Smith | (1896–1981) | 1982 | Educator | [125] | |
Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton | (1889–1971) | 1981 | Co-founder of the Museum of Northern Arizona | [126] | |
Cordelia Adams Crawford | (1865–1943) | 1981 | Early settler known for her healing skills, developed trust and friendship with the Apache | [127] | |
Sharlot Hall | (1870–1943) | 1981 | Journalist, poet, historian, Sharlot Hall Museum named in her honor | [128] | |
Isabella Greenway King | (1886–1953) | 1981 | First U.S. congresswoman from Arizona | [129] | |
Lorna Lockwood | (1903–1977) | 1981 | Chief Justice, Arizona Supreme Court; first woman state Chief Justice in United States history | [130] | |
Anna Moore Shaw | (1898–1976) | 1981 | Author, born on the Gila River Indian reservation | [131] | |
Elizabeth Josephine Brawley Hughes was an advocate of women's rights in the United States West region. George W. P. Hunt described her as the Mother of Arizona.
Anastasia Collins Frohmiller, known as Ana, was a leading female politician in Arizona from the 1930s through the 1950s.
Elsie Worthington Clews Parsons was an American anthropologist, sociologist, folklorist, and feminist who studied Native American tribes—such as the Tewa and Hopi—in Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico. She helped found The New School. She was associate editor for The Journal of American Folklore (1918–1941), president of the American Folklore Society (1919–1920), president of the American Ethnological Society (1923–1925), and was elected the first female president of the American Anthropological Association (1941) right before her death.
Eulalia "Sister" Bourne was a pioneer Arizona schoolteacher, rancher and writer. She taught at rural Arizona schools from 1914 to 1957.
Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame was established in 1982 by Oklahoma Governor George Nigh "to honor Oklahoma women who are pioneers in their field or in a project that benefits Oklahoma; who have made a significant contribution to the State of Oklahoma; who serve or have served as role models to other Oklahoma women; who may be "unsung heroes," but have made a difference in the lives of Oklahomans or Americans because of their actions; who have championed other women, women's issues, or served as public policy advocates for the issues important to women; and who exemplify the Oklahoma spirit."
Frances Lillian Willard Munds was an American suffragist and leader of the suffrage movement within Arizona. After achieving her goal of statewide women's suffrage, she went on to become a member of the Arizona Senate more than five years before ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution granted the vote to all American women. She lived in Prescott, Arizona and represented Yavapai County in 1915. She was a Democrat.
The Colorado Women's Hall of Fame is a non-profit, volunteer organization that recognizes women who have contributed to the history of the U.S. state of Colorado. As of 2024, 205 women have been inducted.
The Alabama Women's Hall of Fame honors the achievements of women associated with the U.S. state of Alabama. Established in 1970, the first women were inducted the following year. The museum is located in Bean Hall, a former Carnegie Library, on the campus of Judson College in Marion, Alabama. It became a state agency in 1975 by an act of the Alabama Legislature. The organization is governed by an eleven-member board. They are elected to three-year terms with a minimum of one board member from the fields of art, business, community service, education, law, medicine, politics, religion, and science. In addition to the board, the President of Judson College and Governor of Alabama both serve as voting members.
The Florida Women's Hall of Fame is an honor roll of women who have contributed to life for citizens of the US state of Florida. An awards ceremony for the hall of fame was first held in 1982 and recipient names are displayed in the Florida State Capitol. The program was created by an act of the Florida Legislature and is overseen by the Florida Commission on the Status of Women (FCSW), a nonpartisan board created in 1991 to study and "make recommendations to the Governor, Cabinet and Legislature on issues affecting women". The FCSW also manages the Florida Achievement Award for those who have improved the lives of women and girls in Florida, an award is focused on outstanding volunteerism. FCSW members serve by appointment and the commission is housed at the Office of the Attorney General of Florida.
The Maine Women's Hall of Fame was created in 1990 to honor the achievements of women associated with the U.S. state of Maine. The induction ceremonies are held each year during March, designated as Women's History Month. Nominees are chosen by the public via an online nomination form. The University of Maine at Augusta displays the hall of fame in its Bennett D. Katz Library, and also hosts the hall of fame online at the university's website. The nomination form lists three criteria for eligibility:
The Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame (CWHF) recognizes women natives or residents of the U.S. state of Connecticut for their significant achievements or statewide contributions.
The Alaska Women's Hall of Fame (AWHF) recognizes women natives or residents of the U.S. state of Alaska for their significant achievements or statewide contributions. It was conceived by the board of directors of the Alaska Women's Network (AWN) in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Alaska's statehood. The large inaugural class of fifty women were inducted weeks after that anniversary, on March 6, 2009, with subsequent classes inducted every year since. As of the class of 2015, 135 women and one organization, the Sisters of Providence, have been honored. The principal organizations involved with the AWHF are the Zonta Club of Anchorage, the YWCA, Alaska Women for Political Action, the Anchorage Women's Commission, the University of Alaska Anchorage, Alaska Women's Network and the ATHENA Society.
The Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame is a non-profit, volunteer organization that recognizes women who have contributed to history of the U.S. state of Arkansas.
Doña María Eulalia Elías González Romo de Vivar was a Mexican American rancher who established the first major cattle ranch in Arizona. She was inducted into the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame.
Angela Hutchinson Hammer was an American newspaperwoman. She was born in 1870, and entered the newspaper industry in the late 1890s. Hammer founded several newspapers, the most prominent being the Casa Grande Dispatch. Hammer has been inducted into both the Arizona Newspaper Hall of Fame and the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame in 1983.
Anna Moore Shaw, was a Pima storyteller, autobiographer and civic leader. She is the first Native woman to earn a high school diploma in Arizona.
María Luisa Legarra Urquides was an American educator and proponent of bilingual education. She spent her life in the US state of Arizona, but influenced national educational policies. Urquides served in local and federal roles, and received numerous awards and recognitions for her educational leadership and community work. She has been referred to as the "Mother of Bilingual Education" in the United States. She was inducted into the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame in 2002.
Helen Sekaquaptewa (1898-1990), was a Hopi Mormon homemaker, matriarch and storyteller, best known for her as-told-to memoir, Me and Mine: The Life Story of Helen Sekaquaptewa, which was compiled by her friend Louise Udall based on Sekaquaptewa's recollections.
Veora Johnson was an Arizona educator and humanitarian. She was the first black educational administrator in Arizona.
Clara Osborne Botzum was an Arizona state representative whose work focused on the development of Parker, Arizona, and the Colorado River Valley. She was the first woman to chair the Mines and Mining Committee.