Katharine McCormick, biologist & millionaire philanthropist
She put her fortune behind women’s ability to choose when to have children, funding research that helped make the birth control pill a reality.
Women worth knowing
All Stories
Extraordinary women, overlooked stories, and a more complete history. Explore the lives, ideas, and achievements that changed the world.
american women
American women.
Esther Howland, the Mother of the American Valentine
Esther Howland turned paper lace and an upstairs workshop of women into a thriving valentine business, helping Americans send their love.
Madam C. J. Walker, self-made millionaire
She built a haircare business that created jobs for Black women, then used her wealth to support education, community institutions, and resistance to racism.
Edmonia Lewis, African-American & Native American sculptor of international fame
She built an internationally celebrated sculpture career despite racism and sexism, creating art that inspired other Black and Indigenous artists to pursue their ambitions.
Fannie Sperry Steele, award-winning rodeo performer
Her skill on bucking horses won championships and challenged expectations of women in rodeo, earning recognition in a sport built around strength and daring.
Alice Austen, photographer
Her photographs preserved everyday life that might otherwise have disappeared. Their rediscovery brought recognition and helped lift the photographer herself out of poverty.
Ella Baker: The Woman Who Helped Build the Civil Rights Movement
Ella Baker helped student protesters build SNCC and connected generations of organizers who changed the civil rights movement from the ground up.