Dear Followers, This week, after the tragic death of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three others at the American Embassy in Benghazi, Libya, all eyes have been on the current unrest in the Middle East. Anti-American protests have erupted in Yemen and Egypt, and some believe it was due to outrage over an "inflammatory" YouTube video while others believe it was a Taliban 9/11 "reminder." Before the demonstrations began last week, I had … [Read more...]
165: The Self-Empowered Woman: Elizabeth Blackwell
September 14, 2012 By
Dear Followers, Today, most of us take going to a female physician for granted, but the photo above will serve as an introduction to Elizabeth Blackwell, who was the first (English born) woman in America to receive a medical degree. Born in Bristol, England in 1821, she was the third of nine children and grew up in an unusual family. Her father (a sugar refiner) was what was then called a "dissenter," because he refused to accept the … [Read more...]
163: The Self-Empowered Woman: Emilie du Chatelet
August 26, 2012 By
Dear Followers, The last few blogs have focused on modern-day high achievers. So, for a change of pace I'd like to introduce you to an amazing woman who was born in 1706, and is considered to be the first (and much-admired) female mathematician and physicist. She also translated Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica into French; although it was published ten years after her death in 1759, her translation is still considered the standard … [Read more...]
161: The Self-Empowered Woman: 2012 Olympic Females
August 12, 2012 By
Dear Followers, Since this year is the 40th anniversary of Title IX (the 1972 law that increased opportunities for women in sports in America), we all have a great deal to be thankful for. That's why I thought, as the 2012 Olympics come to a close, we should revisit some of the record-breaking events that deserve a moment of celebration. Here a few thought-provoking bullets: Women won two-thirds of the U.S. team's gold medals, and over … [Read more...]
160: The Self Empowered Woman: Larisa Latynina
August 6, 2012 By
Dear Followers, Now that Michael Phelps has ended his Olympic career with a mind-boggling 22 medals (18 gold), I'd like to introduce you to the 77-year old previous holder of the "Most Decorated Olympic Athlete." For 48 years, Larisa Latynina (a former Soviet gymnast) held the record of 18 Olympic medals (9 Gold, 5 Silver and 4 Bronze), which until last week seemed untouchable. Larisa was born in Kherson, a Black Sea port in Southern … [Read more...]
159: The Self-Empowered Woman: Alice Coachman
July 29, 2012 By
Dear Followers, Now that we've all enjoyed the opening ceremonies of the London Olympics, I thought it would be a good time to introduce you to the first African-American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. She was also the only female American athlete to win gold at the 1948 Games; her sport was the high jump. Alice Coachman was born in Albany, Georgia, on November 9, 1923. She and her nine siblings grew up at a time when public training … [Read more...]
158. The Self-Empowered Woman: Monica Mason
July 26, 2012 By
Dear Followers, Everyone who knows me clearly understands how deeply I love ballet. When I lived in London, I considered it a dream come true to interview Natalia Makarova and Margot Fonteyn. No wonder my (battered) toe shoes are still hanging in my bathroom! Today I'd like to pay tribute to a remarkable woman who just retired as the artistic director of Britain's Royal Ballet--after being with the company for 54 years. Dame Monica Margaret … [Read more...]
157: The Self-Empowered Woman: Ada Kepley
July 22, 2012 By
Dear Followers, These days, law schools are crowded with female students, but in the years after the Civil War, the legal profession was one of the many fields that happened to be gender specific. Today's blog is about Ada Harriet Miser Kepley (2/11/1848-6/13/1925), who was the first American woman to graduate from law school. Ada grew up in Sommerset, Ohio until her family moved to St. Louis, Missouri when she was thirteen years old. She … [Read more...]
