Notable American Women, 1607–1950 facts for kids

Notable American Women, 1607–1950: A Biographical Dictionary is a special three-volume book series published in 1971. It's like a giant encyclopedia, but only about important women! The idea for this book started in 1957 at Radcliffe College. Librarians, historians, and teachers there wanted to create a version of the Dictionary of American Biography that focused entirely on women.

Why This Book Is Important

Notable American Women was the first big book of women's biographies in modern times. Even though there were similar books long ago, like one from 1804 by Matilda Betham, this one was different. It came out when "Women's Studies" classes in U.S. universities were becoming popular. People were very interested in learning about women's history.

When the book was first published, experts thought it was an amazing step forward in understanding women's roles in American history. Susan Ware, a writer, said that the 1,359 women featured in the book showed how much women had contributed to American life. This was a big change, as women were often left out of other history books at the time. The book also encouraged more research into women's past.

New Editions and Updates

Later, more volumes were added to the series. Notable American Women: The Modern Period : a Biographical Dictionary came out to include women who passed away between 1951 and 1976. This part of the project was a team effort between Radcliffe College and Harvard University Press, with help from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Then, in 2004, a fifth volume was released. It was called Notable American Women : a Biographical Dictionary Completing the Twentieth Century. This volume added even more amazing women to the collection, bringing the stories up to the end of the 20th century.

Who Is Included in the Books?

The Notable American Women series includes thousands of women who made a difference in many different fields. Here are some of the areas they were famous for:

Women in Volumes 1-3 (1607-1950)

These first three books cover women from early American history up to the mid-20th century. They include women who were:

• Abolitionists: People who worked to end slavery, like Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth.
• Actresses and Theatre Managers: Women who performed on stage or managed theaters.
• Anthropologists and Folklorists: Those who studied human cultures and traditional stories.
• Architects and Interior Decorators: Women who designed buildings and decorated their insides.
• Art Collectors and Patrons: People who collected art or supported artists, like Isabella Stewart Gardner.
• Art Critics and Historians: Those who wrote about and studied art.
• Art Educators: Women who taught art.
• Astronomers: Scientists who studied stars and planets, like Maria Mitchell.
• Authors: Writers from different time periods, including famous poets like Emily Dickinson and novelists like Harriet Beecher Stowe.
• Biologists: Scientists who studied living things.
• Botanists and Horticulturists: Those who studied plants and gardening.
• Chemists and Physicists: Scientists who studied matter and energy.
• Children's Authors: Writers who created stories for young readers, such as Louisa May Alcott.
• Circus Performers: Entertainers in the circus, like Annie Oakley.
• Civil War Figures: Women who played roles during the American Civil War, including nurses like Clara Barton and spies.
• Classicists: Scholars who studied ancient Greek and Roman cultures.
• College Administrators: Women who led colleges and universities.
• Composers: Women who wrote music.
• Dancers: Performers who expressed themselves through movement, like Isadora Duncan.
• Educational Reformers: People who worked to improve schools and education.
• Educators of the Handicapped: Those who taught people with disabilities, like Anne Sullivan.
• Entrepreneurs: Women who started and ran their own businesses.
• Explorers and Travelers: Adventurous women who explored new places.
• Feminists: People who fought for equal rights for women, like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
• Film Actresses and Directors: Women who worked in early movies.
• Geographers and Geologists: Scientists who studied the Earth's surface and rocks.
• Hawaiian Nobility: Queens and princesses from Hawaii.
• Heroines: Women known for their bravery or special deeds, like Pocahontas and Betsy Ross.
• Historians: People who studied and wrote about the past.
• Historical Preservationists: Those who worked to save historic buildings and sites.
• Home Economists: Experts in managing households and nutrition.
• Illustrators: Artists who created pictures for books and magazines.
• Indian Captives: Women who were captured by Native American tribes.
• Indian Reform Advocates: People who supported better treatment for Native Americans.
• Indian Women: Native American women who were important figures.
• Inventors: Women who created new things.
• Kindergartners: Early childhood educators.
• Labor Leaders: Women who led workers' rights movements.
• Labor Reformers: People who worked to improve working conditions.
• Lawyers: Women who practiced law.
• Lecturers and Orators: Women who gave speeches and talks.
• Librarians: Those who managed libraries.
• Literary Scholars: People who studied literature.
• Magazine Editors: Women who ran magazines.
• Mathematicians: Women who studied numbers and patterns.
• Ministers and Evangelists: Women who led religious services or spread religious messages.
• Missionaries: People who traveled to spread their religious beliefs.
• Missionary Society Leaders: Women who led groups supporting missionaries.
• Mormon Women: Important women in the Mormon faith.
• Music Educators and Patrons: Women who taught music or supported musicians.
• Naturalists: People who studied nature and wildlife.
• Negro Women: African American women who made significant contributions.
• Newspaperwomen: Women who worked in newspapers.
• Nurses: Healthcare professionals.
• Painters: Artists who created paintings.
• Peace Advocates: People who worked for peace.
• Performing Musicians: Women who played musical instruments or sang.
• Philanthropists: People who donated money to good causes.
• Philosophers: Thinkers who explored big questions about life.
• Photographers: Women who took pictures.
• Physicians: Doctors.
• Political Figures: Women involved in government and politics, including advisers, elected officials, and party workers.
• Printmakers: Artists who created prints.
• Prison Reformers: People who worked to improve prisons.
• Psychologists: Scientists who studied the mind and behavior.
• Religious Educators: Women who taught about religion.
• Religious Founders and Leaders: Women who started or led religious groups.
• School Founders and Administrators: Women who started or ran schools.
• Sculptors: Artists who created sculptures.
• Settlement House Leaders: Women who ran community centers helping people in need.
• Social and Civic Reformers: People who worked to improve society and communities.
• Social Economists: Those who studied how society and the economy interact.
• Social Leaders: Women who were prominent in society.
• Social Workers: Professionals who helped individuals and families.
• Socialists and Radicals: People with strong political beliefs who wanted big changes in society.
• Suffragists: Women who fought for the right to vote.
• Temperance Advocates: People who worked to reduce or ban alcohol.
• Translators: Those who translated texts from one language to another.
• Welfare Work Leaders: Women who led efforts to help people in need.
• Wives of the Presidents: First Ladies of the United States.
• Women's Club Leaders: Women who led social and civic clubs.

Women in Volume 4 (1951-1976)

This volume covers women who passed away between 1951 and 1976. It includes women in fields like:

• Agriculture and Rural Life: Women who worked in farming or rural communities.
• Anthropology and Folklore: Scholars who studied cultures and traditions.
• Architecture: Women who designed buildings, like Julia Morgan.
• Art: Artists, including painters and sculptors.
• Astronomy: Scientists who studied space.
• Aviation: Women pilots and those involved in flying.
• Biology: Scientists who studied living organisms, like Rachel Carson.
• Chemistry: Scientists who studied chemicals.
• Botany: Those who studied plants.
• Broadcasting: Women in radio and television.
• Children's Literature: Authors of children's books, like Laura Ingalls Wilder.
• Civil Liberties: People who worked to protect individual freedoms.
• Business: Women who ran businesses.
• Civil Rights: Activists who fought for equal rights, like Mary McLeod Bethune and Eleanor Roosevelt.
• Classics and Archaeology: Scholars of ancient civilizations.
• Community Affairs: Women involved in local community work.
• Conservation: Those who worked to protect nature.
• Consumer Protection: Advocates for consumer rights.
• Cookery: Famous chefs and cookbook authors.
• Dance: Dancers and choreographers, like Martha Graham.
• Demography: Those who studied population trends.
• Economics: Economists.
• Education: Women involved in teaching and school administration.
• Engineering and Industrial Design: Women who designed machines and products.
• Entertainment: Performers like Judy Garland and Josephine Baker.
• Exploration: Adventurous women.
• Fashion: Designers and fashion experts.
• Feminism: Women who advocated for women's rights, like Margaret Sanger.
• Film: Actresses and filmmakers, including Marilyn Monroe and Bette Davis.
• Geology: Scientists who studied the Earth's structure.
• Government and Politics: Women in political roles, including elected officials and presidential wives.
• History: Historians.
• Home Economics: Experts in household management.
• Housing Reform: Those who worked to improve housing.
• International Affairs: Women involved in global relations.
• Journalism: Reporters and writers for newspapers and magazines.
• Labor: Women involved in labor movements.
• Landscape Architecture: Those who designed outdoor spaces.
• Law: Lawyers and judges.
• Librarianship: Librarians.
• Literature: Writers, poets, editors, and scholars.
• Magazine and Journal Editing: Women who edited publications.
• Mathematics: Mathematicians.
• Medicine: Physicians and medical researchers.
• Military: Women in the armed forces.
• Music: Classical and popular musicians.
• Nursing: Nurses.
• Nutrition: Experts in food and health.
• Peace: Advocates for peace.
• Penology and Criminology: Those who studied prisons and crime.
• Philanthropy: Donors to charitable causes.
• Philosophy: Philosophers.
• Photography: Photographers.
• Physical Education: Those who taught physical fitness.
• Physics: Physicists.
• Political Science: Scholars of politics.
• Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis: Mental health professionals.
• Psychology: Psychologists.
• Religion: Religious leaders and scholars.
• Settlements: Leaders of settlement houses.
• Socialism and Radicalism: People with strong social and political views.
• Social Reform: Those who worked for social change.
• Social Research: Researchers who studied social issues.
• Social Welfare: Leaders in social welfare.
• Social Work: Social workers.
• Sociology: Sociologists.
• Sports: Athletes.
• Suffrage: Women who fought for voting rights.
• Temperance and Prohibition: Advocates for alcohol control.
• Theater: Actresses and theater professionals.
• Women's Organizations: Leaders of various women's groups.
• Writers/Poets: Authors and poets.
• Zoology: Scientists who studied animals.

Women in Volume 5 (Completing the Twentieth Century)

The fifth volume includes women who died later in the 20th century. Some of the areas they were involved in are:

• Advertising/Public Relations: Women in advertising.
• Anthropology/Folklore: Scholars of human cultures.
• Archaeology/Classics: Those who studied ancient history and cultures.
• Architecture: Architects.
• Art: Artists, including painters and sculptors, like Georgia O'Keeffe.
• Art Collectors/Dealers: People who collected or sold art.
• Astronomy: Astronomers.
• Aviation: Pilots and astronauts, like Christa McAuliffe and Judith Resnik.
• Biochemistry: Scientists who studied the chemistry of living things.
• Biology: Biologists, like Dian Fossey.
• Family Planning: Advocates for family planning.
• Botany: Botanists.
• Business/Entrepreneurship: Business leaders, like Lucille Ball.
• Chemistry: Chemists.
• Child Advocacy/Education: Those who worked for children's rights and education.
• Children's Literature: Authors of children's books.
• Civil Rights: Activists for civil rights, like Rosa Parks (though not listed here, similar figures are included) and Barbara Jordan.
• Community Activism/Local Government: Women involved in local community and government.
• Computer Science: Computer scientists, like Grace Hopper.
• Conservation/Environmentalism: Environmental activists.
• Conservatism: Women with conservative political views, like Ayn Rand.
• Consumer Affairs: Advocates for consumers.
• Crafts/Decorative Arts: Artists who worked in crafts.
• Dance: Dancers and choreographers, like Martha Graham.
• Economics: Economists.
• Education: General: Women in various educational roles.
• Engineering/Technology: Engineers.
• English/Literary Theory: Scholars of English literature.
• Fashion/Textile Design: Fashion designers.
• Feminism: Women who fought for women's rights, like Bella Abzug and Alice Paul.
• Film: Actresses and filmmakers, like Joan Crawford and Marlene Dietrich.
• Food: Chefs and food writers.
• Gardening: Gardeners.
• Government: Appointed Officials (State and Federal): Women in government roles.
• History: Historians.
• Home Economics: Home economists.
• Housing Reform: Those who worked to improve housing.
• International Relations: Women involved in international affairs.
• Journalism: Journalists and reporters.
• Labor: Labor activists.
• Law and Judiciary: Lawyers and judges.
• Librarians/Archivists: Librarians and archivists.
• Mathematics/Statistics/Computer Science: Experts in these fields.
• Medicine: Physicians and Health Care Activists: Doctors and healthcare advocates.
• Military: Women in the military.
• Museums/Curators: Museum professionals.
• Music: Classical: Classical musicians.
• Music: Popular: Popular musicians, like Ella Fitzgerald and Selena.
• Nursing: Nurses.
• Nutrition/Home Economics: Nutritionists.
• Peace: Peace activists.
• Penology and Criminology: Those who studied crime and punishment.
• Philanthropy: Philanthropists.
• Philosophy: Philosophers.
• Photography: Photographers.
• Physics: Physicists.
• Political Science: Political scientists.
• Politics: Elected Officials/Activists/Volunteers: Women in politics.
• Psychiatry/Psychoanalysis/Psychiatric Social Work: Mental health professionals.
• Psychology: Psychologists.
• Public Health/Women's Health: Public health experts.
• Publishing/Editing: Publishers and editors.
• Radicalism/Socialism: People with radical or socialist views.
• Radio/Television: Women in radio and TV, like Lucille Ball.
• Religion/Spirituality: Religious leaders.
• Social Work: Social workers.
• Socialite/Hostess: Prominent women in society.
• Sociology: Sociologists.
• Sports/Physical Education/Recreation: Athletes and sports figures.
• Theater/Vaudeville/Comedy: Performers and theater professionals.
• Women's Organizations: Leaders of women's groups.
• Writers/Poets: Authors and poets.
• Zoology: Zoologists.