Women’s History Month

women's history month banner

Wilson Community College is proud to celebrate Women’s History Month during the month of March.

*Check back throughout the month of March for updates.

Spotlights

Enjoy reading about these brave and innovative women in our history.

  • Alice Paul “A vocal leader of the twentieth century women’s suffrage movement, Alice Paul advocated for and helped secure passage of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution, granting women the right to vote.” Read more about Alice Paul.
  • Katherine Johnson “studied how to use geometry for space travel. She figured out the paths for the spacecraft to orbit (go around) Earth and to land on the Moon. NASA used Katherine’s math, and it worked! NASA sent astronauts into orbit around Earth. Later, her math helped send astronauts to the Moon and back. NASA could not have done these things without Katherine Johnson and her love for math!” Read more about Katherine Johnson.
  • March 8 is International Women’s Day. Women across the world use this day to come together to celebrate and rally for equal treatment and representation. The predecessor of International Women’s Day, previously known as National Women’s Day, was first observed in the United States on February 28, 1909, at the suggestion of activist Theresa Malkiel. In 1921, International Women’s Day was moved to March 8. Read more about International Women’s Day.
  • Mary Anderson was granted a patent for the windshield wiper in 1903. It would become a standard requirement for cars in 1916. Women have invented many things including industrial lathes, white out, bras, non-reflective glass, the dishwasher, disposable diapers, petroleum refining methods, etc. Read more about Mary Anderson.
  • Antoinette Brown Blackwell made history as the first woman to be ordained a minister of a recognized denomination in the United States. She began to speak at meetings of the Congregational church to which she belonged at an early age and pursued her future as a minister. Read more about Antoinette Brown Blackwell.

Dr. Carla Hayden - American librarian and the 14th Librarian of Congress. Appointed 2016, Hayden is both the first African American and first woman to hold this post.    Jacqueline Cochran - American pilot who pioneered women's aviation as a prominent racing pilot. She set numerous records and was the first woman to break the sound barrier in 1953.

Virginia S. Coleman - American chemist who made contributions to the US atomic weapons program during WWII. She was a chemist during the Manhattan Project.    Ella Jane Fitzgerald - dubbed "Queen of Jazz", she was the most popular female jazz singer in the US for more than half a century. She won 13 Grammy awards and sold over 40 million albums.

Print Books

The A. Dwight Johnson Learning Resource Center has a variety of print books, eBooks, articles, databases, and government resources showcasing Women’s History Month. Visit the Library today to check out one of our titles or view the electronic resources (electronic resources only available to current students and employees).

Scroll to Top

Severe Weather Alert

Due to the threat of severe weather, the College will be closed on Friday, September 27, 2024.