Honored: 1996 (1922 - )
Founder of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C., which brings national and international attention to the vast achievements of women in art.
Honored: 1988 (1873 - 1947)
Newspaperwoman and editor who became an outstanding novelist with the publication of O Pioneers in 1913. Cather went on to write other great novels and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1922. Her well-known works include My Antonia and Death Comes for the Archbishop.
Honored: 1993 (1945 - 2010)
First woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. As Chief, Mankiller brought about major economic and social improvements for her tribe, including better health care, economic development, and education.
Honored: 1994 (1940 - 1994)
First American woman ever to win three gold medals in the Olympics. A track and field champion, Rudolph elevated women's track to a major presence in the United States. She created the Wilma Rudolph Foundation to help train young athletes.
Honored: 2000 (1930 - )
One of the most decorated military women in U.S. history, Brigadier General Vaught, USAF, Retired, broke through many gender barriers to achieve a series of "firsts" that paved the way for military women serving today. She may be best known and most revered for her 12-year quest to permanently honor women in the military, raising over $45 million to build a major national memorial. The stunning 33,000 sq. ft. Women in Military Service for America Memorial facility and education center stands today at the gateway to Arlington National Cemetery.
Honored: 2007 (1959 - )
A graduate of Harvard and Antioch Universities, Winona LaDuke advocates for public support and funding for frontline native environmental groups. In 1994, she was nominated by
Time Magazine as one of America's most promising leaders under forty years of age. In 1998, she was named
Ms. Magazine Woman of the Year. Ms. LaDuke was the vice-presidential candidate on the Green Party ticket in both 1996 and 2000. She currently serves as director of the White Earth Land Recovery Project in Minnesota.
Honored: 1994 (1891 - 1960)
Novelist, anthropologist and folklorist who contributed greatly to the preservation of African-American folk traditions and to American literature. Hurston's best known works include Their Eyes Were Watching God and her autobiography, Dust Tracks on the Road.
