The Iowa Women's Hall of Fame was created to acknowledge the accomplishments of female role models associated with the U.S. state of Iowa, and is an endeavor of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women (ICSW).
In 1972, the state of Iowa created the ICSW to oversee women's issues, with Cristine Swanson Wilson as its first chair. Since the Hall of Fame's beginnings in 1975, four annual nominees are inducted by the ICSW and the Governor of Iowa in a public ceremony. The event is held on Women's Equality Day, which commemorates the August 26, 1920 ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution that gave women the right to vote. The honorees are nominated by the public via online forms available on the ICSW website.[1] The ICSW also created the annual "Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice" in 1982. Wilson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.[2]
The initial inductees were Iowa's first female Secretary of State Ola Babcock Miller, who created the Iowa State Patrol; president and founding member of Iowa Woman Suffrage Association, Amelia Bloomer; president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, and founder of the League of Women Voters, Carrie Chapman Catt; and Annie Turner Wittenmyer who founded the Women's Christian Temperance Union, formed an aid society to support Union Army soldiers during the Civil War, as well as helped to pass pension legislation for nurses in that same war. Catt was the first inductee.
In the ensuing years, the Hall of Fame ranks were joined by women from all walks of life. As of the 2017 inductee ceremonies, there have been 172 women inducted.[3] The list of inductees includes civil rights pioneers, global issues leaders, community volunteer workers, elected officials, artists, the medical profession and a large cornucopia of contributions by the state's women. Two First Ladies of the United States, Lou Henry Hoover and Mamie Eisenhower were added in 1987 and 1993 respectively. Environmental preservationist Gladys B. Black made the list in 1985. Mycologist Lois Hattery Tiffany was added in 1991 for her career of educating the public about mushrooms. The military is represented by Women's Army Corps veteran Rosa Cunningham in 1980 and by former United States Army Judge Advocate General officer Phyllis Propp Fowle in 2001. Vietnam War era anti-war activist Peg Mullen was inducted in 1997. Pulitzer Prize winner Susan Glaspell was a 1976 inductee. Hualing Nieh Engle, who in 1976 was co-nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, became a Hall of Fame inductee in 2008. Cattle breeder Mary Garst was added in 1981. Several women farmers are on the list, and added in 2001 was attorney Phyllis Josephine Hughes who had also been honored by Pope John Paul II for her legal assistance to the farm community.
Name | Image | Birth–Death< | --Leave parentheses/brackets in place per MOS:BLPLEAD--> | Year | Area of achievement | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
(b. 1968) | 2023 | District Associate Judge | [4] | |||
(b. 1954) | 2023 | Mayor of Johnston, Iowa | ||||
(b. 1977) | 2023 | Registered nurse | ||||
(1900–1976) | 2022 | Civic activist | [5] | |||
(b. 1936) | 2022 | County attorney, activist | [6] | |||
(b. 1962) | 2022 | Executive director of the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence | [7] | |||
(b. 1950) | 2022 | 2009-2019 Poet Laureate of Iowa | [8] | |||
(1884–1936) | 2021 | Nature photographer, academic contributor, book illustrator | [9] | |||
2021 | Educator, 35-year veteran of the Marshalltown Community School District | [10] | ||||
(1921–1986) | 2021 | Actress, 1953 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress | [11] | |||
(b. 1955) | 2021 | Iowa Commissioner of Public Safety, Assistant Iowa Attorney General | [12] | |||
(1953–2019) | 2020 | Chief Justice, Iowa Supreme Court from 2011 to 2019, wrote the Varnum v. Brien opinion that legalized same-sex marriage in Iowa in 2009. | [13] | |||
(1923–2017) | 2020 | WWII WAVES US Navy veteran, one of the founders of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women | ||||
(b. 1939/1940) | 2020 | Agriculture | ||||
(b. 1945) | 2020 | Former Iowa State Representative | ||||
(b. 1959) | 2020 | Meskwaki native American birth name "Bo na bi go". Artist and art conservator, educator, cultural historian, civic leader and political activist, humanitarian, community leader and mentor | ||||
(1922–2020) | 2019 | Attorney, first probate judge in the State of Iowa in 1978; former Special Counsel to the Iowa Department of Revenue | [14] | |||
(b. 1934) | 2019 | Iowa House of Representatives | [15] | |||
(1923–2022) | 2019 | Founding member of both the Iowa Women Attorneys Association and the Iowa Women's Political Caucus; member of the Governor's Committee to remove sexism from the Iowa Code | [16] | |||
(b. 1942) | 2019 | Teacher, coach, organizer | [17] | |||
(b. 1953) | 2018 | Director of Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University | [18] | |||
(b. 1944) | 2018 | Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement at Drake University | [19] | |||
(b. 1948) | 2018 | University of Iowa’s College of Medicine. Won a landmark harassment legal case against the University of Iowa. Jean Y. Jew Human Rights Award named in her honor. | [20] | |||
(b. 1960) | 2018 | Astronaut | [21] | |||
(1869–1932) | 2017 | Social worker, namesake of the Jane Boyd Organization | [22] | |||
(b. 1970) | 2017 | United States Senator from Iowa | [23] | |||
(b. 1949) | 2017 | Des Moines City Council | [24] | |||
(b. 1959) | 2017 | Governor of Iowa | [25] | |||
(1920–2017) | 2016 | Nurse | [26] | |||
(b. 1952) | 2016 | Polk County Board of Supervisors | [27] | |||
2016 | Professor of Global Public Health and Chair of the Division of Health Promotion and Education at the University of Northern Iowa and Director of the Iowa Center on Health Disparities | [28] | ||||
(1905–1989) | 2016 | Founder of Cedar Rapids Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) | [29] | |||
2015 | First female president of the West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, the West Des Moines Development Corp. and Rotary Club of Des Moines Foundation. The first female executive vice president at West Bank, director of West Bank since 1975. | [30] | ||||
(b. 1959) | 2015 | Lt. General and superintendent of the United States Department of Defense Service Academy, the first woman to serve in that position | [31] | |||
(b. 1948) | 2015 | Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court | [32] | |||
(b. 1951) | 2015 | Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court | [33] | |||
(b. 1961) | 2014 | Owner of the human resources business Hardman Consulting | [34] | |||
(b. 1956) | 2014 | Former vice president and marketing chief at Principal Financial Group | [35] | |||
(b. 1936) | 2014 | Former Iowa State Senator | [36] | |||
(b. 1950) | 2014 | Literacy advocate and politician | [37] | |||
(b. 1948) | 2013 | First woman to be the executive dean at Des Moines Area Community College | [38] | |||
(b. 1943) | 2013 | 46th Lieutenant Governor of Iowa and Secretary of Agriculture for Iowa | [39] | |||
(1952–2012) | 2013 | Journalism professor at Iowa State University; first female corporate secretary and general counsel for the Des Moines Register and Tribune | [40] | |||
(1950–2024) | 2013 | First African American woman to be certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in gynecologic oncology | [41] | |||
(b. 1941) | 2012 | Educator and co-founder of the Iowa Women's Studies Association | [42] | |||
(b. 1956) | 2012 | Director of the Chrysalis Foundation | [43] | |||
(b. 1955) | 2011 | Banking industry, mentor to women in business | [44] | |||
(b. 1957) | 2011 | Community activist | [45] | |||
(1931–2023) | 2011 | Civic leader | [46] | |||
(1920–2014) | 2011 | Physician, learning disabilities | [47] | |||
(1829–1875) | 2010 | Elected 1869 Superintendent of Schools in Mitchell County, first woman in Iowa elected to office | [48] | |||
(1948–2009) | 2010 | Iowa State Senator | [49] | |||
(1932–2015) | 2010 | African American civil rights worker, community civic activist | [50] | |||
(b. 1949) | 2010 | Business woman, fund raiser and civic leader, helped launch Women's Power Lunch and Women United | [51] | |||
(b. 1940) | 2009 | Historian | [52] | |||
(b. 1935) | 2009 | Iowa State Senator | [53] | |||
(1921–1996) | 2009 | Osteopath, rural doctor and county Medical Examiner | [54] | |||
(b. 1937) | 2009 | Community activist | [55] | |||
(b. 1943) | 2008 | Lawyer, civic leader; founding member of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women in Politics | [56] | |||
(1924–2012) | 2008 | Worked to help women run for political office; helped bring global peacemakers to Iowa; Boatwright Political Action Award established in her name by the Iowa Association of Social Workers | [57] | |||
(b. 1925) | 2008 | Novelist, poet, nominated (with her husband) for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 | [58] | |||
(1932–2007) | 2008 | Executive Director of Visiting Nurses in Des Moines | [59] | |||
(b. 1947) | 2007 | Educator, created Sisters for Success mentoring program. Inductee of National Teachers Hall of Fame and Iowa African American Hall of Fame | [60] | |||
(1870–1949) | 2007 | Pioneer in government service; Emma J. Harvat and Mary E. Stach House is on the NRHP in Johnson County | [61] | |||
(1884–1950) | 2007 | Botanist who added 10,000 specimens to the state herbarium | [62] | |||
(b. 1932) | 2007 | Community leader, publisher, business woman | [63] | |||
(1908–2008) | 2006 | Young adult fiction writer | [64] | |||
(1936–2021) | 2006 | University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame, Athlete and athletic director, University of Iowa | [65] | |||
(1927–2024) | 2006 | Human rights | [66] | |||
(1901–1979) | 2006 | Veterinary medicine | [67] | |||
(b. 1932) | 2005 | Politician, civic leader | [68] | |||
(1928–2020) | 2005 | Advocate for low-income needy | [69] | |||
(1946–2004) | 2005 | Social worker | [70] | |||
(1936–2019) | 2005 | 43rd Lieutenant Governor of Iowa | [71] | |||
(1932–2017) | 2004 | 44th Lieutenant Governor of Iowa | [72] | |||
(b. 1939) | 2004 | Co-founder Iowa State University's International Women in Science and Engineering, and ISU Program for Women in Science and Engineering | [73] | |||
(1922–2002) | 2004 | Social activist, patron of the arts | [74] | |||
(b. 1951) | 2004 | 45th Lieutenant Governor of Iowa | [75] | |||
(b. 1948) | 2003 | Established Iowa CareGivers Association | [76] | |||
(1880–1968) | 2003 | Educator and author of Jim Bowie's Lost Mine | [77] | |||
(b. 1929) | 2003 | Iowa Senate, Iowa House of Representatives | [78] | |||
(b. 1937) | 2003 | Volunteerism | [79] | |||
(b. 1948) | 2002 | 32nd Iowa Attorney General | [80] | |||
(1942–1998) | 2002 | Executive director Iowa Commission on Status of Women | [81] | |||
(1916–2012) | 2002 | Musical composer | [82] | |||
(b. 1936) | 2002 | Journalist | [83] | |||
(1934–2000) | 2001 | Psychologist, academician | [84] | |||
(1908–2000) | 2001 | First female in the United States Army to serve as an officer with the Judge Advocate General, and the only female in that position deployed overseas in World War II | [85] | |||
(1912–2005) | 2001 | Honored by Pope John Paul II for legal aid to farmers; Democratic Party activist; novelist | [86] | |||
(b. 1937) | 2001 | Musician | [87] | |||
(1920–2005) | 2000 | Public service, Beje Clark Residential Center bears her name | [88] | |||
(b. 1949) | 2000 | Organic farmer; founder of Women, Food and Agriculture Network, represented farmers at the United Nations, serves on many coalitions representing rural women | [89] | |||
(1820–1899) | 2000 | Women's rights | [90] | |||
(1919–2011) | 2000 | Volunteerism | [91] | |||
(1950–2004) | 1999 | Professor of pharmacy, advocate of women in health careers and pharmacy | [92] | |||
(1936–2019) | 1999 | Latino rights advocate | [93] | |||
(1923–2010) | 1999 | Neighborhood cooperation, working with the blind | [94] | |||
(1920–2009) | 1999 | Iowa State Senator | [95] | |||
(1881–1954) | 1998 | Author | [96] | |||
(b. 1931) | 1998 | Educator, community and church leader | [97] | |||
(b. 1938) | 1998 | Political worker and organizer | [98] | |||
(1913–2003) | 1998 | Educator, volunteer | [99] | |||
(1917–1999) | 1997 | Pioneer for African women writers | [100] | |||
(1917–2009) | 1997 | Vietnam War era anti-war activist | [101] | |||
(1831–1891) | 1997 | Women's suffrage | [102] | |||
(1895–1998) | 1997 | African American civic organizer | [103] | |||
(1900–1996) | 1996 | Writer | [104] | |||
(1929–2022) | 1996 | Photojournalist who documented 1950s civil rights movement in Cedar Rapids | [105] | |||
(1874–1967) | 1996 | Educator, voting rights for women, civic leader | [106] | |||
(1902–1998) | 1996 | Business leader, YWCA executive | [107] | |||
(1877–1941) | 1995 | Civil rights advocate | [108] | |||
(b. 1929) | 1995 | Human rights advocate | [109] | |||
(1910–2002) | 1995 | Economist, journalist | [110] | |||
(1852–1918) | 1995 | Women's suffrage | [111] | |||
(1905–2002) | 1994 | Children's author who helped develop Nancy Drew books; pilot and journalist | [112] | |||
(1932–2018) | 1994 | Advocate for disadvantaged, advocate for economic development | [113] | |||
(1880–1962) | 1994 | First African American female lawyer in Iowa | [114] | |||
(1930–2017) | 1994 | Political activist | [115] | |||
(1919–2012) | 1993 | Global community worker, included involvement with the Peace Corps and UNESCO | [116] | |||
(1896–1979) | 1993 | First Lady of the United States | [117] | |||
(1831–1922) | 1993 | Educator | [118] | |||
(1910–1996) | 1993 | First woman elected to the Meskwaki tribal council | [119] | |||
(1929–1997) | 1992 | African American pioneer of integration | [120] | |||
(1919–1997) | 1992 | Advocate for the mentally challenged | [121] | |||
(1907–1993) | 1992 | Broadcaster | [122] | |||
(1841–1923) | 1992 | Women's rights, home economics | [123] | |||
(1878–1978) | 1991 | Educator spent her career teaching in India as the request of the Methodist Episcopal Church | [124] | |||
(1832–1903) | 1991 | helped develop the Davenport Academy of Sciences | [125] | |||
(1926–2022) | 1991 | Volunteerism | [126] | |||
(1924–2009) | 1991 | Mycologist, educating the public on mushrooms | [127] | |||
(1836–1937) | 1990 | Carrie Chapman Catt nicknamed Coggeshall "The Mother of Woman's Suffrage in Iowa" | [128] | |||
(1926–2006) | 1990 | Civil rights and education reform | [129] | |||
(1927–2018) | 1990 | Advocate for leadership skills, human rights, civil rights | [130] | |||
(b. 1938) | 1990 | Historian, women's advocate | [131] | |||
(1833–1919) | 1989 | Civil War nurse who became a doctor; advocated for pregnant women and children | [132] | |||
(1924–2014) | 1989 | Community activist | [133] | |||
(1924–2018) | 1989 | Scientist, encouraging women to enter science professions | [134] | |||
(1945–1991) | 1989 | Women's rights | [135] | |||
(1892–1955) | 1988 | African American advocate for children and youth | [136] | |||
(1917–2016) | 1988 | Advocate of care and education for pregnant teenagers | [137] | |||
(1921–2012) | 1988 | Volunteerism; civic leader | [138] | |||
(1928–2018) | 1988 | Health care | [139] | |||
(1930–2023) | 1987 | Educator, member of various public broadcasting boards and committees | [140] | |||
(1907–1997) | 1987 | First licensed African American woman pharmacist in Iowa | [141] | |||
(1874–1944) | 1987 | First Lady of the United States | [142] | |||
(1874–1973) | 1987 | Sculptor | [143] | |||
(1909–1999) | 1986 | African American musician and civic leader | [144] | |||
(1922–2017) | 1986 | First African American woman elected to the Iowa State Legislature | [145] | |||
(1879–1959) | 1986 | Educator | [146] | |||
(1909–2006) | 1986 | Global affairs | [147] | |||
(1909–1998) | 1985 | Ornithologist and environmental preservationist | [148] | |||
(1909–2000) | 1985 | 1948 State of Iowa v. Katz, civil rights landmark ruling | [149] | |||
(1872–1957) | 1985 | Advocate for voting rights, women's education | [150] | |||
(1912–2014) | 1985 | Farmer, community leadership, National Safety Council, Associated Country Women of the World Conference, Living History Farms | [151] | |||
(1875–1957) | 1984 | Music promoter and organizer | [152] | |||
(1803–1887) | 1984 | Founder of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary | [153] | |||
(1932–2011) | 1984 | Volunteerism | [154] | |||
(1901–1987) | 1984 | Volunteerism | [155] | |||
(1895–1975) | 1983 | First United States female serving on a regularly appointed parole board | [156] | |||
(1921–2001) | 1983 | Advocate early childhood education | [157] | |||
(1926–2001) | 1983 | Advocate for women's equality | [158] | |||
(1910–1993) | 1983 | Public service | [159] | |||
(b. 1928) | 1982 | State chair Iowa Women's Political Caucus, served on numerous boards and commissions | [160] | |||
(1921–2013) | 1982 | Author, university professor, civic leader | [161] | |||
(1889–1977) | 1982 | Scholar, author, educator | [162] | |||
(1917–2015) | 1982 | Physician | [163] | |||
(1837–1901) | 1981 | Founded Northern Iowa Suffrage Association, founded Iowa Federation of Women's Clubs | [164] | |||
(b. 1944) | 1981 | U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, Assistant Attorney General of Iowa | [165] | |||
(1928–2014) | 1981 | Cattle breeder, state director Iowa Beef Improvement Assn, president Iowa Simmental Cattle Assn, served on many organizations, including League of Women Voters, Planned Parenthood of Iowa, and Iowa Children's and Family Services | [166] | |||
(1908–2002) | 1981 | Community activist, patron of the arts | [167] | |||
(1890–1987) | 1980 | Served in the Women's Army Corps in World War II, women's rights advocate | [168] | |||
(1922–2018) | 1980 | Educator, consultant | [169] | |||
(1846–1911) | 1980 | First female lawyer in the United States | [170] | |||
(1914–2020) | 1980 | Social worker | [171] | |||
(1923–2005) | 1979 | Iowa House of Representatives, advocate for women's rights | [172] | |||
(1886–1985) | 1979 | Physical education | [173] | |||
(1923–2010) | 1979 | Broadcaster | [174] | |||
(1906–1990) | 1979 | USDAHome economics extension agent | [175] | |||
(1918–2002) | 1978 | Civic leader, public relations officer for Veterans Administration, part of Congressional fact finding team to Vietnam during war | [176] | |||
(1890–1972) | 1978 | Director of the Office of Refugees, Migratory and Voluntary Assistance during the Eisenhower Administration | [177] | |||
(1881–1958) | 1978 | Iowa House of Representatives; first female in the state legislature | [178] | |||
(1892–1960) | 1978 | Author | [179] | |||
(1876–1966) | 1977 | Juvenile Protective Association leadership, social worker and advocate for Hull House | [180] | |||
(1881–1971) | 1977 | Known as "The mother of 4-H clubs" | [181] | |||
(1871–1952) | 1977 | Suffragette, National president Women's Christian Temperance Union, served on White House Conference on Child Health and Protection during Herbert Hoover administration. | [182] | |||
(1914–1997) | 1977 | First female Chair of the RNC | [183] | |||
(1876–1948) | 1976 | 1931 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Alison's House | [184] | |||
(1858–1924) | 1976 | Helped organize the Iowa Child Welfare Association | [185] | |||
(1897–1963) | 1976 | Educator | [186] | |||
(1896–1980) | 1976 | Farm spokeswoman, co-founder Association Country Women of the World, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower both appointed her to Presidential positions. | [187] | |||
(1818–1894) | 1975 | President and founding member of Iowa Woman Suffrage Association | [188] | |||
(1859–1947) | 1975 | President of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, founder of the League of Women Voters | [189] | |||
(1872–1937) | 1975 | First female Iowa Secretary of State; instituted the Iowa State Patrol; Ola Babcock Miller Building named in her honor | [190] | |||
(1827–1900) | 1975 | Established the Keokuk Ladies' Soldiers' Aid Society to assist Union Army soldiers during the Civil War. Assisted with passage of an 1892 bill to give pensions to Civil War nurses. Founder and President of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. | [191] | |||