Marie C. Wilson facts for kids

Marie C. Wilson is a well-known American leader, writer, and organizer. She is famous for starting the White House Project and the Ms. Foundation for Women. She also created the popular event, Take Our Daughters to Work Day. Marie Wilson has written books like Closing the Leadership Gap: Why Women Can and Must Help Run the World. She has dedicated her career to helping women become leaders and make a difference in the world.

Early Life and Education

Marie Wilson grew up in Georgia. Her father was a typesetter, and her mother was a dental hygienist. In school, she was very active. She was the Vice President of the Student Body and a Merit Scholar.

Wilson studied philosophy at Vanderbilt University. While there, she supported civil rights activist James Lawson. He led peaceful protests against racism at lunch counters in Nashville. Later, she earned degrees from the University of Delaware and a master's degree from Drake University.

Starting Her Career

From 1978 to 1981, Marie Wilson worked at Drake University. She was the Director of Women's Programs. She created one of the biggest programs of its kind in the United States. Her programs helped women who were starting or returning to work. About 3,000 women each year benefited from her career and training programs. She also started programs for women in the community, including those about managing teams and flexible work.

After her work at Drake University, Wilson became the Vice President of the Iowa Bankers Association. She was in charge of education and human resources there.

Serving on the Des Moines City Council

In 1983, Marie Wilson made history. She was the first woman elected to the Des Moines City Council. She served as a member-at-large, representing the whole city. While on the City Council in 1984, she was asked to lead the Ms. Foundation for Women.

Leading the Ms. Foundation for Women

Marie Wilson left her position on the Des Moines City Council to become the head of the Ms. Foundation for Women. This foundation was started in 1973 to support feminist organizations across the country.

Under Wilson's leadership, the foundation started new ways to fund projects. They created groups that worked together to give money, like the Collaborative Fund for Women's Economic Development. The foundation even received an award from the White House for this work. The Ms. Foundation helped raise millions of dollars. This money supported small businesses for low-income women and helped change public policies. During her time, Wilson also helped the foundation build a large financial fund to ensure its future.

To honor her important work, the Ms. Foundation created The Marie C. Wilson Leadership Fund.

Creating Take Our Daughters To Work Day

In 1992, while leading the Ms. Foundation, Marie Wilson created a special event. It was called Take Our Daughters To Work Day. Later, it became Take Our Daughters and Sons To Work Day. This event is now celebrated every year on the fourth Thursday in April. More than 30 million children, parents, and schools take part. Over four million workplaces across the country have adopted it. It has become one of the most successful public education campaigns in the nation. People in over 200 countries around the world now plan for this annual event.

The White House Project

In 1998, Marie Wilson started the White House Project. This was a national non-profit organization. Its goal was to help women become leaders in all areas of society, including the U.S. presidency. The project offered training programs for women who wanted to run for office or become activists.

In 2004, Wilson and the White House Project worked with Mattel and Toys "R" Us. They created the Barbie for President doll. This doll was made to encourage girls to think about becoming leaders.

During her time with the White House Project, Wilson led many important efforts. She launched the Vote, Run, Lead (VRL) initiative in 2004. This program successfully trained over 15,000 women to run for office and to vote. VRL became the largest political training program for women, with offices in five cities and reaching 15 states.

In 2007, Wilson helped create the first International Women Leaders Global Security Summit. This summit brought together 70 female leaders from 36 countries. Wilson also organized the largest U.S. group to travel to Chile. They went for the inauguration of Michelle Bachelet. She was the first freely elected female president in South America. Afterward, Wilson organized a large event in Washington, D.C. There, Bachelet met many U.S. women leaders, including Hillary Clinton and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Awards and Recognition

Marie Wilson has received many awards and honors for her work. In 2013, the YES WE CAN Center named her Woman of the Year. She is also a member of important boards, like the Women's Leadership Board at Harvard Kennedy School.

Some of her other awards include:

• The New York Women's Foundation "Celebrating Women Award," 2008
• MAKERS: Women Who Make America, 2012
• Presidential Award for Excellence in Microenterprise Development, 2001
• Drake University Alumni Achievement Award, 1999
• Official U.S. delegate, Fourth World Conference on Women, Beijing, 1995

She has also received honorary doctorates from several universities.

Personal Life

Marie Wilson married Nancy Ann Lee in 2009. She has five children: Eugene III, Renee, Kirsten, David, and Martin Wilson. She lives in New York City.