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BY AMANDA M. BISHOP I PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL WOMEN’S HALL OF FAME
It’s no secret that women have been on the move for centuries, but often, the depth and breadth of women’s achievement isn’t fully realized. Many might remember learning about suffrage pioneers Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, or abolitionists Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth, but fewer know the stories of internationally renowned nursing leader, Loretta Ford, and pioneering chemist, Helen Murray Free. For more than 40 years, the National Women’s Hall of Fame has shared the stories of women, known and unknown, who have shaped our nation and the world. To date, the Hall includes 247 Inductees with accomplishments spanning the arts, athletics, business, education, government, humanities, philanthropy and science. As we celebrate National Women’s History Month and the theme of Women Inspiring Innovation through Imagination: Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, we’re proud to highlight some of our female pioneers in STEM fields. Grace Hopper (1906 – 1992)
A mathematics genius and computer pioneer, Grace Hopper created computer programming technology that forever changed the flow of information and paved the way for modern data processing. In 1952, Hopper was credited with creating the first complier for modern computers, a program that translates instructions written by a programmer into codes that can be read by a computer. Hopper went on to develop the FLOW-MATIC computer programming language (1957) and shortly after, pioneered the Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL). Stephanie L. Kwolek (1923 –
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A trailblazing scientist, Stephanie L. Kwolek invented Kevlar, an aramid fiber that is five times stronger ounce for ounce than steel. More than 40 years later, Kevlar is used in everything from body armor and sports equipment to vehicles and fiber optics. Not only has Kwolek’s invention improved the performance of everyday materials; it has saved the lives of thousands worldwide. Kwolek is the recipient or co-recipient of 17 U.S. patents.
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Dr. Loretta C. Ford (1920 –
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Helen Murray Free (1923 –
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An internationally renowned nursing leader, Dr. Loretta C. Ford has devoted her career to practice, education, research, consultation and the delivery of health services. Dr. Ford is best known for co-founding the nurse practitioner model through her studies on the nurse’s expanded scope of practice in public health nursing. In 1972, Dr. Ford became the founding dean of the University of Rochester School of Nursing, where she implemented the unification model. Dr. Ford is the author of more than 100 publications and has served widely as a consultant and lecturer. A pioneering chemist, Helen Murray Free conducted research that revolutionized diagnostic testing in the laboratory and at home. Free is the co-developer of Clinistix, the first dip-and-read diagnostic test strips for monitoring glucose in urine. Along with her husband, Alfred Free, she also developed additional strips for testing levels of key indicators for other diseases. Today, dip-and-read strips make testing for diabetes, pregnancy, and other conditions available in underdeveloped regions of the United States and in foreign countries. Free is the recipient of numerous awards, including the National Medal of Technology and Innovation and the American Chemical Society’s 66th National Historic Chemical Landmark designation (2010). We invite you to visit the Hall at 76 Fall St. in Seneca Falls and learn more about women in STEM, as well as suffragists, civil rights leaders, philanthropists, performing artists, religious pioneers, child welfare advocates, labor activists, feminists, astronauts, athletes, educators, writers, educators, businesswomen, and more. Be inspired anytime by visiting us on greatwomen.org, and don’t forget to join us in Seneca Falls on Oct. 12, 2013, for the Hall’s 24th Induction Ceremony as we celebrate a new class of Inductees to the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Amanda M. Bishop is the deputy director of the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, N.Y.