Virginia Women in History was an annual program sponsored by the

Library of Virginia The Library of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia, is the library agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It serves as the archival agency and the reference library for Virginia's seat of government. The Library moved into a new building in 1997 and ...

that honored Virginia women, living and dead, for their contributions to their community, region, state, and nation. The program began in 2000 under the aegis of the Virginia Foundation for Women and

Delta Kappa Gamma Delta Kappa Gamma () is a professional society for women educators. History The society was founded on May 11, 1929, at the Faculty Women’s Club at the University of Texas, Austin, Texas. The idea was conceived by Annie Webb Blanton, member ...

Society International; from 2006 to 2020 it was administered by the Library of Virginia. In 2021, it was replaced by the Strong Men and Women in Virginia History program.

2000 honorees

* Ella Graham Agnew (1871–1958), Blacksburg, educator and social worker * Mary Julia Baldwin (1829–1897), Staunton, educator *

Margaret Brent Margaret Brent (c. 1601 – c. 1671), was an English immigrant to the Colony of Maryland, settled in its new capitol, St. Mary's City, Maryland. She was the first woman in the English North American colonies to appear before a court of the c ...

(c. 1601 – c. 1671), Stafford County, planter * Willa Cather (1873–1947), Frederick County, writer *

Jennie Dean Jane Serepta Dean (April 15, 1848 – May 3, 1913) (nicknamed "Jennie" or "Miss Jennie") was born into slavery in northern Virginia, freed as a result of the American Civil War, and became an important founder of churches and Sunday Schools for ...

(1848–1913), Manassas, educator * Sarah Lee Fain (1888–1962),

Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nor ...

, legislator *

Ellen Glasgow Ellen Anderson Gholson Glasgow (April 22, 1873 – November 21, 1945) was an American novelist who won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1942 for her novel ''In This Our Life''. She published 20 novels, as well as short stories, to critical a ...

(1873–1945),

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, Californi ...

, author *

Dolley Madison Dolley Todd Madison (née Payne; May 20, 1768 – July 12, 1849) was the wife of James Madison, the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. She was noted for holding Washington social functions in which she invited members of bo ...

(1768–1849), Orange County, First Lady *

Pocahontas Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...

(c. 1596–1617), Jamestown *

Clementina Rind Clementina Rind (c. 1740–September 25, 1774) was a Colonial American woman who is known as being the first female newspaper printer and publisher in Virginia. Living and working in Williamsburg, Virginia, she took the printing press establish ...

(c. 1740–1774), Williamsburg, printer *

Lila Meade Valentine Lila Meade Valentine (born Lila Hardaway Meade; February 4, 1865 – July 14, 1921) was a Virginia education reformer, health-care advocate, and one of the main leaders of her state's participation in the woman's suffrage movement in the United S ...

(1865–1921), Richmond, reformer and suffragist * Maggie Lena Walker (1864–1934), Richmond, entrepreneur and civil rights leader

2001 honorees

Rosa Dixon Bowser Rosa L. Dixon Bowser (January 7, 1855 – February 7, 1931) was an American educator. She was the first black teacher hired in Richmond, Virginia. She organized the Virginia Teachers' Reading Circle, which became the Virginia State Teachers Associ ...

(1855–1931), Richmond, educator and civic leader * Elizabeth Pfohl Campbell (1902–2004), Arlington, public television pioneer * Thomasina Jordan (1940–1999),

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

, American Indian advocate * Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly (1818–1907),

Dinwiddie County Dinwiddie County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,947. Its county seat is Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie County is part of the Richmond, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Th ...

, seamstress and author * Theresa Pollak (1899–2002), Richmond, artist and educator * Sally Louisa Tompkins (1833–1916), Richmond, hospital administrator *

Elizabeth Van Lew Elizabeth Van Lew (October 12, 1818 – September 25, 1900) was an American abolitionist and philanthropist who built and operated an extensive spy ring for the Union Army during the American Civil War. Many false claims continue to be ...

(1818–1900), Richmond, spy *

Edith Bolling Galt Wilson Edith Wilson ( Bolling, formerly Galt; October 15, 1872 – December 28, 1961) was the first lady of the United States from 1915 to 1921 and the second wife of President Woodrow Wilson. She married the widower Wilson in December 1915, during hi ...

(1872–1961), Wytheville, First Lady

2002 honorees

Rebecca Adamson Rebecca Adamson (born 1950) is an American businessperson and advocate. She is former director, former president, and founder of First Nations Development Institute and the founder of First Peoples Worldwide. Personal life Born in Akron, Ohio, t ...

(born 1950), Fredericksburg, Native American advocate and business developer *

Janie Porter Barrett Janie Porter Barrett (''née'' Porter; August 9, 1865 – August 27, 1948) was an American social reformer, educator and welfare worker. She established the Virginia Industrial School for Colored Girls, a pioneering rehabilitation center for Afri ...

(1865–1948),

Hanover County Hanover County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 109,979. Its county seat is Hanover Courthouse. Hanover County is a part of the Greater Richmond Region. History Located in the wester ...

, educator *

Patsy Cline Patsy is a given name often used as a diminutive of the feminine given name Patricia or sometimes the masculine name Patrick, or occasionally other names containing the syllable "Pat" (such as Cleopatra, Patience, Patrice, or Patricia). Among I ...

(1932–1963),

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

, singer * Hannah Lee Corbin (1728–1782), Westmoreland County, planter * Christine Mann Darden (born 1942),

Hampton Hampton may refer to: Places Australia *Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia *Hampton, New South Wales *Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region * Hampton, Victoria Canada * Hampton, New Brunswick *Ha ...

, engineer * Lillian Ward McDaniel (1902–1981), Richmond, educator and civic leader *

Mary-Cooke Branch Munford Mary-Cooke Branch Munford (September 15, 1865 – July 3, 1938) was a Virginia activist for women's rights, civil rights, women's suffrage, and education. Life Mary-Cooke Branch was a native of Richmond, Virginia; she was the youngest daughter ...

(1865–1938), Richmond, social reformer and community activist * Jessie Manfield Rattley (1929–2001),

Newport News Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the Uni ...

, mayor and social activist

2003 honorees

* Nancy Langhorne Astor (1879–1964), Albemarle County, member of

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

Pearl Bailey Pearl Mae Bailey (March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American actress, singer and author. After appearing in vaudeville, she made her Broadway debut in ''St. Louis Woman'' in 1946. She received a Special Tony Award for the title role in ...

(1918–1990), Newport News, singer and actor * Anna Whitehead Bodeker (1826–1904), Richmond, woman suffrage advocate * Mary Ann Elliott (born 1943),

Fairfax County Fairfax County, officially the County of Fairfax, is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is part of Northern Virginia and borders both the city of Alexandria and Arlington County and forms part of the suburban ring of Washington, D.C. ...

, entrepreneur * Annabelle Ravenscroft Gibson Jenkins (1827–1901), Richmond, philanthropist *

Frances Benjamin Johnston Frances Benjamin Johnston (January 15, 1864 – May 16, 1952) was an early American photographer and photojournalist whose career lasted for almost half a century. She is most known for her portraits, images of southern architecture, and various ...

(1864–1952), Fredericksburg, photographer * Anne Dobie Peebles (1922–2012), Sussex County, civic leader * Anne B. Spencer (1882–1975), Lynchburg, poet

2004 honorees

Grace Arents Grace Evelyn Arents (1848 – June 20, 1926) was an heiress, Christian activist and philanthropist in Richmond, Virginia. She inherited $20 million from her uncle Lewis Ginter, a tobacco business magnate and philanthropist, and she used the ...

(1848–1926), Richmond, philanthropist *

Cockacoeske Cockacoeske (also spelled ''Cockacoeskie'') (ca. 1640 – ca. 1686) was a 17th-century leader of the Pamunkey tribe in what is now the U.S. state of Virginia. During her thirty-year reign, she worked with the English colony of Virginia, try ...

(

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

1656–1686),

Middle Peninsula The Middle Peninsula is the second of three large peninsulas on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the Middle Peninsula was home to 92,886 people. It lies between the Northern Neck and ...

Pamunkey The Pamunkey Indian Tribe is one of 11 Virginia Indian tribal governments recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the state's first federally recognized tribe, receiving its status in January 2016. Six other Virginia tribal governments ...

chief *

Katie Couric Katherine Anne Couric ( ; born January 7, 1957) is an American journalist and presenter. She is founder of Katie Couric Media, a multimedia news and production company. She also publishes a daily newsletter, ''Wake Up Call''. From 2013 to 2017, ...

(born 1957), Arlington County, television journalist * Ann Makemie Holden (1702–1788), Accomack County, planter *

Mary Draper Ingles Mary Draper Ingles (1732 – February 1815), also known in records as Mary Inglis or Mary English, was an American pioneer and early settler of western Virginia. In the summer of 1755, she and her two young sons were among several captives taken ...

(1732–1815), New River Valley, frontierswoman * Sarah Garland Boyd Jones (1866–1905), Richmond, physician * Elizabeth "Annie" Snyder (1921–2002), Manassas, preservationist * Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (1731–1802), Fairfax County, First Lady

2005 honorees

Clara Leach Adams-Ender Clara Leach Adams-Ender (born July 11, 1939) is a retired United States Army officer who served as Chief of the United States Army Nurse Corps from September 1987 to August 1991. She was the first woman to receive her master's degree in military ...

(born 1939), Prince William County, chief of the United States Army Nurse Corps * Caitlyn Day (born 1986), Craig County, community activist * Bessie Blount Griffin (1914–2009),

Princess Anne County County of Princess Anne is a former county in the British Colony of Virginia and the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States, first incorporated in 1691. The county was merged into the city of Virginia Beach on January 1, 1963, ceasing to ...

, inventor and forensic scientist *

Nora Houston Eleanora (or Eleanor) Clare Gibson Houston ( ; June 24, 1883 – February 20, 1942) was an American painter, women's rights advocate, and suffragist. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Houston studied art at an early age, traveling to New Y ...

(1883–1942), Richmond, artist and social reformer *

Barbara Johns Barbara Rose Johns Powell (March 6, 1935 – September 28, 1991) was a leader in the American civil rights movement. On April 23, 1951, at the age of 16, Powell led a student strike for equal education at R.R. Moton High School in Farmville ...

(1935–1991), Prince Edward County,

Civil Rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life ...

activist * Mary Johnston (1870–1936), Bath County, writer and suffragist * Lee Marshall Smith (born 1944), Roanoke, writer * Mary Belvin Wade (1951–2003), Richmond, civic leader

2006 honorees

* Katherine Harwood Waller Barrett (1865–1948),

Henrico County Henrico County , officially the County of Henrico, is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 334,389 making it the fifth-most populous county in Virginia. Henrico County is incl ...

, physician and educator * Sister Marie Majella Berg (1916–2004), Arlington County, president of

Marymount University Marymount University is a private Catholic university with its main campus in Arlington, Virginia. Marymount offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. It has approximately 3,897 students enrolled, representing approximately 45 states an ...

* John-Geline MacDonald Bowman (1890–1946), Richmond, business executive * Grace Brewster Murray Hopper (1906–1992), Arlington County, computer scientist and rear admiral * Mary Tyler Freeman Cheek McClenahan (1917–2005), Richmond, civic leader * Benita Fitzgerald Mosley (born 1961), Haymarket, media executive and Olympic gold medalist * G. Anne Nelson Richardson (born 1956), King and Queen County, Rappahannock chief * Mary Virginia Hawes Terhune (1830–1922), Amelia County, writer

2007 honorees

Mary Willing Byrd Mary Willing Byrd (September 10, 1740 – March 1814) was an American planter. She was the second wife of Colonel William Byrd III, a Colonial American military officer at the time of the American Revolution and son of the founder of Richmond, V ...

(1740–1814),

Charles City County Charles City County is a county located in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated southeast of Richmond and west of Jamestown. It is bounded on the south by the James River and on the east by the Chickahominy River. The ...

, planter * Maybelle Addington Carter (1909–1978), Scott County, singer * Laura Lu Scherer Copenhaver (1868–1940), Smyth County, founder of Rosemont Industries and Lutheran lay leader * Mary Alice Franklin Hatwood Futrell (born 1940), Lynchburg, educator * Mary Jeffery Galt (1844–1922),

, preservationist * Sheila Crump Johnson (born 1949), Loudoun County, founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) and sports franchise owner * Opossunoquonuske (

1607–1610), Chesterfield County,

Appamattuck The Appomattoc (also spelled Appamatuck, Apamatic, and numerous other variants) were a historic tribe of Virginia Indians speaking an Algonquian language, and residing along the lower Appomattox River, in the area of what is now Petersburg, Col ...

leader *

Camilla Williams Camilla Ella Williams (October 18, 1919 – January 29, 2012) was an American operatic soprano who performed nationally and internationally. After studying with renowned teachers in New York City, she was the first African American to receive a ...

(1919–2012), Danville, opera singer

2008 honorees

Frances Culpeper Berkeley Frances Stephens Berkeley Ludwell ( Culpeper; baptised 27 May 1634 – 1690s), most commonly styled Lady Frances Berkeley after her second marriage, was a leader of the Green Spring faction of Virginia politics in the seventeenth century and wife t ...

(baptized 27 May 1634–c. 1695), James City County, leader of the Green Spring faction * Lucy Goode Brooks (1818–1900),

, founder of the Friends' Asylum for Colored Orphans * Providencia Velazquez Gonzalez (1917–2013), Dale City, community activist * Elizabeth Bermingham Lacy (born 1945),

, judge of the Supreme Court of Virginia * Sharyn McCrumb (born 1948),

Roanoke County Roanoke County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 96,929. Its county seat is Salem, but the county administrative offices are located in the unincorporated C ...

, writer * Patricia Buckley Moss (born 1933), Waynesboro, artist and philanthropist * Isabel Wood Rogers (1924–2007),

, moderator, General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) *

Edith Turner Edith Turner (ca. 1754 – February or March 1838), sometimes known as Edy Turner or Edie Turner, or by her personal name Wané Roonseraw, was a leader – often styled "chief" or "queen" – among the Nottoway people of Virginia in the eighteenth ...

(Wané Roonseraw) (c. 1754–1838),

Southampton County Southampton County is a county located on the southern border of the Commonwealth of Virginia. North Carolina is to the south. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,996. Its county seat is Courtland. History In the early 17th centu ...

, chief of the Nottoway (Cheroenhaka)

2009 honorees

* Pauline Adams (1874–1957),

suffragist Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally in English, the right to v ...

* Caroline Bradby Cook (c. 1839 – after 1910), King William County,

leader and Unionist * Claudia Emerson (1957–2014), Fredericksburg, poet *

Drew Gilpin Faust Catharine Drew Gilpin Faust (born September 18, 1947) is an American historian and was the 28th president of Harvard University, the first woman to serve in that role. She was Harvard's first president since 1672 without an undergraduate or gradu ...

(born 1947), Clarke County, historian and president of

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of highe ...

* Joann Hess Grayson (born 1948), Harrisonburg, educator and advocate for abused children * Mary Randolph (1762–1828), Chesterfield County and

, writer * Virginia Estelle Randolph (1874–1958),

, educator * Mary Sue Terry (born 1947),

Patrick County Patrick County is a county located on the central southern border of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,608. Its county seat is Stuart. It is located within both the rolling hills and valleys of the ...

, attorney general

2010 honorees

* Mollie Holmes Adams (1881–1973), King William County, Upper Mattaponi leader * Ethel Bailey Furman (1893–1976), Richmond, architect * Edythe C. Harrison (born 1934), Norfolk, civic leader * Janis Martin (1940–2007), Danville, singer and composer * Kate Mason Rowland (1840–1916), Richmond, writer * Jean Miller Skipwith (1748–1826), Mecklenburg County, book collector * Queena Stovall (1888–1980), Lynchburg and Amherst County, artist * Marian A. Van Landingham (born 1937), Alexandria, civic leader

2011 honorees

Lucy Addison Lucy Addison (December 8, 1861, in Upperville, Virginia – November 13, 1937, in Washington, D.C.) was an African-American school teacher and principal. In 2011 Addison was honored as one of the Library of Virginia's "Virginia Women in Histor ...

(1861–1937), Roanoke, educator * Eleanor Bontecou (1891–1976), Arlington County, attorney * Emily White Fleming (1855–1941), Fredericksburg, preservationist * Pearl Fu (born 1941), Roanoke, civic leader * Lillian Lincoln Lambert (born 1940), Mechanicsville, businesswoman and author * Bessie Niemeyer Marshall (1884–1960), Petersburg, botanical illustrator * Felicia Warburg Rogan (born 1927), Albemarle County, vintner * Elizabeth Henry Campbell Russell (1749–1825), Saltville, Methodist lay leader

2012 honorees

* Susie May Ames (1888–1969), Accomack County, historian *

Monica Beltran Monica Beltran (born 1985) is a soldier in the Virginia Army National Guard who was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with "V" device for actions during a 2005 battle in the Iraq War. Early life and education Born in 1985, Beltran is from Prince Will ...

(born 1985), Woodbridge, army Bronze Star Medal recipient *

Christiana Burdett Campbell Christiana Burdett Campbell (ca. 1723–March 25, 1792) was a colonial innkeeper from Williamsburg, Virginia. She started the business herself in an era where it was unusual for women to do so in the colony. A replica of her tavern was built in Co ...

(c. 1723–1792), Williamsburg, innkeeper * Betty Sams Christian (1922–2006), Richmond, business executive and philanthropist *

Elizabeth Peet McIntosh Elizabeth "Betty" Peet McIntosh (born Elizabeth Sebree Peet; March 1, 1915 – June 8, 2015) was known for her undercover work during World War II for the OSS (forerunner of the CIA). Early life She was the daughter of two reporters and raised i ...

(1915–2015), Woodbridge, intelligence agent *

Orleana Hawks Puckett Orleana Hawks Puckett was an American midwife in the mountains of Patrick and Carroll County, Virginia. Although never documented, it is said she helped deliver more than 1,000 babies, and never lost a mother or a child. In 2012, Puckett was po ...

(died 1939), Patrick and Carroll Counties, midwife * Judith Shatin (born 1949), Charlottesville, composer * Alice Jackson Stuart (1913–2001), Richmond, principal in a 1935 civil rights turning point

2013 honorees

* Mary C. Alexander (1893–1955), Lynchburg, aviator * Louise A. Reeves Archer (1893–1948), Vienna, educator * Elizabeth Ambler Brent Carrington (1765–1842), Richmond, civic leader * Ann Compton (born 1947), Roanoke, news correspondent * JoAnn Falleta (born 1954), Norfolk, musician * Cleo Powell (born 1957), Brunswick County, judge * Inez Pruitt (born 1962),

Tangier Island Tangier is a town in Accomack County, Virginia, United States, on Tangier Island in Chesapeake Bay. The population was 727 at the 2010 census. Since 1850, the island's landmass has been reduced by 67%. Under the mid-range sea level rise scena ...

, physician assistant *

Eva Mae Fleming Scott Eva Mae Fleming Scott (May 6, 1926 – March 28, 2019) was an American pharmacist, businesswoman and politician from Virginia. Despite redistricting problems, she served four consecutive two-year terms as delegate in the Virginia General Assembl ...

(1926–2019), Amelia County, legislator, recipient of the VABPW Foundation Business Leadership Award

2014 honorees

* Mary Berkeley Minor Blackford (1802–1896), Fredericksburg, antislavery activist * Naomi Silverman Cohn (1888–1982), Richmond, civic activist *

Elizabeth Ashburn Duke Elizabeth "Betsy" Ashburn Duke (born July 23, 1952) is an American bank executive who served as a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors from 2008 to 2013. Duke was confirmed by the Senate to fill an unexpired term ending January 31, 201 ...

(born 1952), Virginia Beach, banker, recipient of the VABPW Foundation Business Leadership Award * Rachel Findlay (c. 1750–d. after August 17, 1820), Wythe County, principal in a freedom suit *

Christine Herter Kendall Christine Herter Kendall (August 25, 1890 – June 22, 1981) was an American painter. Biography The daughter of physician Christian Archibald Herter and Susan Dows Herter, she was born in Irvington-on-Hudson, New York. She had an older and ...

(1890–1981), Bath County, artist and patron of the arts * Mildred Delores Jeter Loving (1939–2008), Caroline County, principal in a 1967 civil rights turning point * Deborah A. "Debbie" Ryan (born 1952), Albemarle County, basketball coach and cancer treatment advocate * Stoner Winslett (born 1958), Richmond, artistic director and choreographer

2015 honorees

* Nancy Melvina Caldwell (1868–1956), Carroll County, legislator *

Nikki Giovanni Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni Jr. (born June 7, 1943) is an American poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator. One of the world's most well-known African-American poets,Jane M. Barstow, Yolanda Williams Page (eds)"Nikki Giovanni" ''E ...

(born 1943), Blacksburg, poet * Ruth Coles Harris (born 1928), Richmond, business professor *

Dorothy Shoemaker McDiarmid Dorothy Shoemaker McDiarmid (October 22, 1906 – June 8, 1994) was a teacher, real estate broker, Quaker activist, and Virginia legislator for nearly 26 years. Early and family life Born in Waco, Texas to U.S. Department of Agriculture employe ...

(1906–1994), Fairfax County, legislator * Rebekah Dulaney Peterkin (1849–1891), Richmond, philanthropist * Vivian W. Pinn (born 1941), Lynchburg, pathologist and women's health advocate * Elizabeth Bray Allen, also known as Elizabeth Bray Allen Smith Stith (c. 1692–1774), Isle of Wight County, planter and philanthropist * Karenne Wood (1960–2019), Fluvanna County, Virginia Indian scholar and advocate

2016 honorees

* Flora D. Crittenden (1924–2021), Newport News, educator and legislator * Mary Elizabeth Nottingham Day (1907–1956), Staunton, artist * Sarah A. Gray (c. 1847–1893), Alexandria, educator * Edwilda Gustava Allen Isaac (1937–2022), Farmville, civil rights pioneer * Katherine Coleman Goble Johnson (1918–2020), Hampton, mathematician * Ana Ines Barragan King (born 1957), Richmond, founder and Artistic Director of the Latin Ballet of Virginia * Betty Masters (1929–2015), Salem, photojournalist * Meyera Oberndorf (1941–2015), Virginia Beach, mayor

2017 honorees

* Corazon Sandoval Foley (born 1950), Fairfax County, community activist *

(1883–1942), Richmond, artist and social reformer * Cynthia Eppes Hudson (born 1959), Nottoway County, Chief Deputy Attorney General of Virginia * Mary Virginia Jones (born 1940), Prince William County, mechanical engineer * Louise Harrison McCraw(1893–1975), Buckingham, author and executive secretary of the Braille Circulating Library * Doris Crouse-Mays (born 1958), Wythe County, labor leader * Undine Smith Moore (1904–1989), Ettrick, educator and composer * Martha Rollins (born 1943), Richmond, community activist and philanthropist; recipient of the VABPW Foundation Business Leadership Award

2018 honorees

* Gaye Todd Adegbalola (born 1944), blues singer and guitarist, teacher, lecturer, activist, and photographer *

Rita Dove Rita Frances Dove (born August 28, 1952) is an American poet and essayist. From 1993 to 1995, she served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. She is the first African American to have been appointed since the positi ...

(born 1952), poet and essayist * Isabella Gibbons (d. 1890), teacher and minister * Marii Kyogoku Hasegawa (1918–2012), peace activist * Kay Coles James (born 1949), president of the

Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (abbreviated to Heritage) is an American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. that is primarily geared toward public policy. The foundation took a leading role in the conservative movement during the preside ...

Barbara Kingsolver Barbara Kingsolver (born April 8, 1955) is an American novelist, essayist and poet. She was raised in rural Kentucky and lived briefly in the Congo in her early childhood. Kingsolver earned degrees in biology at DePauw University and the Univers ...

(born 1955), novelist * Mary Aydelotte Rice Marshall (1921–1992),

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-number ...

* Temperance Flowerdew Yeardley (d. 1628), settler of the

Jamestown Colony The Jamestown settlement in the Colony of Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. It was located on the northeast bank of the James (Powhatan) River about southwest of the center of modern Williamsburg. It was ...

2019 honorees

* Sharifa Alkhateeb (1946–2004)

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

writer and teacher *

Queen Ann (Pamunkey chief) Queen Ann (–1723) appears in Virginia records between 1706 and 1718 as ruler of the Pamunkey tribe of Virginia. Ann continued her predecessors' efforts to keep peace with the colony of Virginia. She became the leader of her tribe after Queen ...

(

1706–1712) * Claudia Lane Dodson (1941–2007), women's sports advocate * India Hamilton (c. 1879 – 1950), educator * Georgeanna Seegar Jones (1912–2005), American physician who with her husband, Howard W. Jones, pioneered in vitro fertilization in the United States * Ona Maria Judge (c. 1773 – 1848), Fugitive slave of US President George Washington, who successfully escaped Mount Vernon. The Washington family never pursued her, but never freed her. *

Lucy Randolph Mason Lucy Randolph Mason (July 26, 1882 – May 6, 1959) was an American labor activist and suffragist. She was involved in the union movement, the consumer movement and the civil rights movement in the mid-20th century. Early life Lucy Rando ...

(1882–1959), civil rights activist, labor activist and suffragette *

Kate Peters Sturgill Katherine O'Neill Peters Sturgill (March 3, 1907 – ) was an Appalachian singer and musician. She collected folk songs and some of her own songs were collected and are in the collections of the Library of Congress. Early life Kate Peters Stu ...

(1907–1975), musician and folk song collector

2020 honorees

* Pauline Adams (1874–1957), suffragist * Fannie Bayly King (1864–1951), social reformer and suffragist * Elizabeth Dabney Langhorne Lewis (1851–1946), suffragist * Sophie G. Meredith (1851–1928), suffragist * Josephine Mathes Norcom (1873–1927), community activist and suffragist * Mary Elizabeth Pidgeon (1890–1979), suffragist and labor economist * Ora Brown Stokes (1882–1957), educator, probation officer, temperance worker, and clubwoman *

(1865–1921), reformer and suffragist * Maggie Lena Mitchell Walker (1864–1934), entrepreneur and civil rights leader

References

External links

Virginia Women in History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Virginia Women In History History of Virginia Women in Virginia Women's halls of fame Awards established in 2000 2000 establishments in Virginia