Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame facts for kids
The Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame is a special group that celebrates women who have made a big difference in the U.S. state of Arkansas. It's run by volunteers and aims to honor women who have shaped the state's history.
Contents
History
This organization started in 2014. Its main goal is to recognize and honor the important contributions of women in Arkansas. It was created by a partnership between the Arkansas Business Publishing Group and the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce.
A group of eleven board members was formed. Their job is to create a permanent home for the Hall of Fame. They also want to make sure these honored women are remembered for a long time. Until a permanent building is ready, there are plans for a traveling exhibit. This exhibit will visit different places across the state.
The very first group of women was honored on August 27, 2015. This group included 11 amazing women and one organization. The organization was the Women's Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools. These first honorees were chosen from 73 possible candidates.
Who Can Be Inducted?
To be included in the Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame, women must meet certain requirements. They must have a strong connection to Arkansas and have achieved great things.
Here are the main ways women can be chosen:
- They were born in Arkansas and became famous there.
- They lived in Arkansas for a long time and became well-known in the state.
- They were born in or lived in Arkansas for a significant time, and became famous somewhere else.
There are also other important things the Hall of Fame looks for:
- They made important and lasting contributions in their field, whether it was a job or not.
- They helped improve the culture, economy, politics, or social life of their community, state, or country.
- They helped improve the standing of women and/or girls.
- They helped open new opportunities for women and for everyone in society.
- They were inspiring role models for others.
Inductees
The Hall of Fame adds new members every year. It includes both women who are alive today and those from history. It also honors organizations that help women.
| Name | Image | Birth–Death | Year | Area of achievement | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret Louise Sirman Clark | 2020 | First African-American woman professor at the University of Arkansas | |||
| Cynthia L. Conger | 2020 | Financial planner | |||
| Hispanic Women's Organization of Arkansas | 2020 | Organization supporting Hispanic women | |||
| Brownie Ledbetter | (1932–2010) | 2020 | Political activist | ||
| Dorothy Morris | 2020 | Philanthropist (someone who gives money to good causes) | |||
| Carolyn Pollan | 2020 | Arkansas State Representative (a lawmaker) | |||
| Amy Rossi | 2020 | Leader of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families | |||
| Sister Rosetta Tharpe | (1915–1973) | 2020 | Entertainer (singer and guitarist) | ||
| Alice Andrews | 2019 | Conservationist (works to protect nature) | |||
| Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority Beta Pi Omega chapter | 2019 | Sorority (a social organization for women) | |||
| Diane Frances Divers Kincaid Blair | (1938–2000) | 2019 | Educator, political advisor, and writer | ||
| Olivia Farrell | 2019 | Publisher; co-founder of the Arkansas Women's Foundation | |||
| Jo Luck | 2019 | Activist for ending world hunger | |||
| Charlotte Tillar Schexnayder | 2019 | Arkansas House of Representatives; first female president of the National Newspaper Association | |||
| Louise McPhetridge Thaden |  |
(1935–2018) | 2019 | Aviation pioneer (early flyer) | |
| Carolyn Witherspoon | 2019 | Founding partner of a law firm; first woman president of the Arkansas Bar Association | |||
| Caroline F. Blakely | 2018 | Chancellor emeritus at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | |||
| Karen Flake | 2018 | President and CEO of Mount St. Mary Academy, Little Rock | |||
| Sue Griffin | 2018 | Editor in Chief of a medical journal | |||
| Raye Montague |  |
(1935–2018) | 2018 | U.S. Navy engineer and graphics designer | |
| Bessie Boehm Moore | (1935–2018) | 2018 | Educator, civic leader, helped create the first public library in Pine Bluff | ||
| Florence Beatrice Smith Price | (1887–1953) | 2018 | Musical composer | ||
| Mary Steenburgen |  |
2018 | Actress | ||
| Annabelle Davis Clinton Imber Tuck | 2018 | First woman elected to the Arkansas Supreme Court | |||
| Women's Foundation of Arkansas | 2018 | The only foundation in the state focusing solely on women and girls | |||
| Maya Angelou | (1928–2004) | 2017 | Poet | ||
| June B. Freeman | 2017 | Architect | |||
| Ruth Hawkins | 2017 | Historic preservation (protecting old buildings and sites) | |||
| Brinda J. Jackson | 2017 | Architect | |||
| Bernice Jones | (1905–) | 2017 | Philanthropist | ||
| Pat Lile | 2017 | President and CEO of the Arkansas Community Foundation, Inc. | |||
| Olivetan Benedictine Sisters | 2017 | Established St. Bernards Hospital and Regional Medical Center | |||
| Elsijane Trimble Roy | (1916–2007) | 2017 | Associate Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court and a United States federal judge | ||
| Joanna Seibert | 2017 | Pediatric Radiology (medical imaging for children) | |||
| Dorothy Stuck | 2017 | Civil rights activist | |||
| Kay Kelley Arnold | 2016 | Community activist | |||
| Bettye Caldwell | (1924–2016) | 2016 | Educator and academic | ||
| Cathy Cunningham | 2016 | Community development advocate | |||
| Jocelyn Elders |  |
(1933–) | 2016 | Former Surgeon General of the United States (top doctor for the U.S. government) | |
| Betty Ann Lowe | (1934–2013) | 2016 | Pediatrician (children's doctor) and educator | ||
| Religious Sisters of Mercy of the Americas | 2016 | Religious order | |||
| Lottie Shackelford | 2016 | Mayor of Little Rock | |||
| Patti Upton | 2016 | Founder and former CEO of a fragrance company | |||
| Pat Walker | (1919–2016) | 2016 | Philanthropist | ||
| Mary Ann Arnold | (1927–) | 2015 | First female mayor of Marked Tree, Arkansas; President of an agribusiness and communications firm | ||
| Daisy Bates | (1914–1999) | 2015 | American civil rights activist, helped plan the Little Rock Integration Crisis | ||
| Betty Bumpers | |
(1925–) | 2015 | Former Arkansas First Lady who led a statewide childhood immunization program | |
| Hattie Caraway |  |
(1878–1950) | 2015 | First woman elected to serve in the United States Senate | |
| Hillary Clinton |  |
(1947–) | 2015 | Former Arkansas First Lady, First Lady of the United States, U.S. senator from New York, and U.S. Secretary of State | |
| Hester Davis | (1930–2014) | 2015 | State Archaeologist with the Arkansas Archaeological Survey | ||
| Roberta Fulbright | (1874–1953) | 2015 | Newspaper publisher and women's rights advocate; mother of United States Senator J. William Fulbright | ||
| Mary Good |  |
(1931–) | 2015 | Founding Dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology at the University of Arkansas Little Rock | |
| Johnelle Hunt | (1939–) | 2015 | Co-founder and former Board Member of J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. | ||
| Edith Jones | (1927–) | 2015 | First African American to attend and graduate from the University of Arkansas Medical School; first female president of the National Medical Association | ||
| Alice Walton | .jpg) |
(1949–) | 2015 | WalMart heiress and founder of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art | |
| Women's Emergency Committee to Open Our Schools | 2015 | Advocated for the integration of the Little Rock public school system |
See also
In Spanish: Salón de la Fama de las mujeres de Arkansas para niños
