Today’s post is by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. Next year marks the 160th anniversary of the Homestead Act, a law making free public lands available to homesteading under certain conditions. Its provisions were responsible for helping settle much of the American West. Between 25 and 39 … Continue reading Women Homesteaders
Category: Women’s History
Ellen Ochoa: A Pioneer on Land and in Space
Today's post was written by Lynn Nashorn, textual processing and accessioning archivist at the National Archives at College Park. Mission Specialist Ellen Ochoa taking photos out the window from a flight deck stations, 17 Apr, 1993 (NAID 23272400) On April 8, 1993, the space shuttle Discovery launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and Ellen … Continue reading Ellen Ochoa: A Pioneer on Land and in Space
The Adventures of Miriam Davenport, 1940-1946, Part II
Today’s post is by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. In 1944, Miriam Davenport Treo was employed by the Committee of the American Council of Learned Societies for the Protection of Cultural Treasures in War Areas to prepare maps and lists of cultural treasures for the Armed Forces … Continue reading The Adventures of Miriam Davenport, 1940-1946, Part II
The Adventures of Miriam Davenport, 1940-1946, Part I
Today’s post is by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. In October 1945, Miriam Davenport reported to work at Tier 18 W in the National Archives Building at 7th and Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C. She was not, however, an employee of the National Archives. She was employed … Continue reading The Adventures of Miriam Davenport, 1940-1946, Part I
Women’s History in the National Register of Historic Places
This post is part of an ongoing “road trip” featuring records from the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and National Historic Landmarks Program Records, 2013 – 2017 (National Archives ID 20812721), a series within Record Group 79: Records of the National Park Service. "Women suffragists were honored at Missouri women's state meeting" (National Archives Identifier 7452306). … Continue reading Women’s History in the National Register of Historic Places
Women in Diplomatic Service, 1924
Today's post was written by David Langbart, archivist in Textual Reference at the National Archives at College Park Until 1922, neither the United States nor Great Britain included women in their diplomatic services. There was a major difference, however, in the practices of the two countries. In the United States it was by tradition; in … Continue reading Women in Diplomatic Service, 1924
A Life Well Lived: Amelia Tyler of the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute and the United States Patent Office, 1832-1908
Today’s post is written by Dr. Greg Bradsher, Senior Archivist at the National Archives at College Park, MD. In June 1908, the Scientific American reported on the death of Amelia Tyler. The periodical noted that she had died on May 23, at her home in Washington, D.C. and that her death “has caused widespread regret … Continue reading A Life Well Lived: Amelia Tyler of the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute and the United States Patent Office, 1832-1908
A Suffragist at the Carter White House: 1917 Meets 1977
Today’s post is written by Daria Labinsky, an archivist at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and a member of NARA’s Women’s Affinity Group. President Carter signed a proclamation in honor of Women’s Equality Day on August 26, 1977, to commemorate the certification date of the 19th Amendment, “guaranteeing that the right of United States citizens … Continue reading A Suffragist at the Carter White House: 1917 Meets 1977
The Secrets of the Office of Strategic Services Personnel Records: Spotlight on Virginia Hall
Today’s post is by Cara Moore Lebonick, Archives Reference Specialist at the National Archives at St. Louis In 1931 Virginia Hall, born this month, was appointed as a “Clerk” for the U.S. Department of State, to be stationed in Warsaw. She failed the “career service” exam twice, once in 1929 and again in 1930, before … Continue reading The Secrets of the Office of Strategic Services Personnel Records: Spotlight on Virginia Hall
Recognizing Women in Foreign Affairs, 1957
Today’s post is written by David Langbart, an Archivist in the Textual Records Division at the National Archives at College Park. In 1957, the U.S. Foreign Service had relatively few women members and up to that date only seven women had ever held the position of Minister or Ambassador (head of a diplomatic post). The … Continue reading Recognizing Women in Foreign Affairs, 1957