Women’s History is Ohio History Repurposed from the March Ohio Histore-news letter
Who was the first woman to run for president of the United States? Victoria C. Woodhull, a magazine publisher and women’s rights advocate born in Homer, Ohio, ran for president in 1872. Abolitionist Frederick Douglass was her running mate.
Which first lady was the first to vote in a presidential election? First lady Florence Harding, wife of Warren G. Harding, was the first to vote in a presidential election, in 1920.
Who was the first woman to fly solo around the world? Jerrie Mock of Newark and Bexley flew solo around the world March 19 through April 17, 1964. Her plane was a 1953 Cessna 180 named The Spirit of Columbus.
Who was a female astronaut from Ohio? Akron native Judith Resnik joined NASA in 1978 and became the nation’s first Jewish American astronaut. She died on Jan. 28, 1986, when the space shuttle Challenger exploded just seconds after liftoff.
Who was the nation’s first woman to serve on a state Supreme Court? Judge Florence E. Allen, first woman to serve on the Supreme Court of Ohio, was also the first woman to serve on a state Supreme Court in the United States.
Who was the nation’s first African American woman elected mayor? Ellen Walker Craig-Jones became the first African American woman elected mayor of an American municipality when she was elected mayor of Urbancrest, Ohio, in 1971.
Who was a famous suffragist from Ohio? In 1894, Harriet Taylor Upton was elected treasurer of the National Woman Suffrage Association and served until 1910. She was president of the Ohio Woman Suffrage Association from 1899-1908 and 1911-1920.
When were the first women allowed to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps? In 1918 the U.S. Marine Corps allowed women to enlist for clerical duties. Ouida Okey from Woodsfield, Ohio, was one of 200 “Girl Marine Reserves” who joined up.
Who was the first woman to represent Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives? In 1940, Frances Payne Bolton became the first woman from Ohio to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, when she was elected to her husband’s seat after his death. She served in Congress until 1969.
Who was the only Miss America to win two years in a row? Mary Katherine Campbell of Columbus was the second woman crowned Miss America, in 1922. She won again in 1923, the only woman to win two years in a row. There have been four other Miss Americas from Ohio: Marilyn Meseke, Laurel Schaeffer, Jacquelyn Mayer and Susan Perkins.
Who was the first woman to entertain the armed forces overseas? Elsie Janis from Columbus began her stage career as a child and performed on the New York stage in her teens. During World War I, she became the first female entertainer to perform for the soldiers at camps near the front lines.
Where was the first coeducational college in the United States? When Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, opened in 1833, women were admitted to the preparatory program. In 1837 they were admitted to the college program.
Upcoming Programs Feature More Women’s History Saturdays in March at the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus, enjoy two special Women’s History Month programs, both free with museum admission. At noon and 2 p.m., A Woman’s Place focuses on the evolution of women’s rights and roles, from a loom shuttle to the space shuttle. At 1 and 3 p.m., Echoes in Time Theatre presents “I Decline to Stand Up as the Frightful Example.” Meet Ohio native Victoria Woodhull, 1872 candidate for president of the United States. Call 800.686.6124. Meet Civil War surgeon and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, only woman to serve as a physician with the Union Army, as portrayed by Debra Conner this Sunday, March 20, at 2 p.m. at Marietta’s Campus Martius Museum, free with museum admission. Call 800.860.0145. Hear dramatic stories of African-American women in history Saturday, March 26, from 2 p.m.-5 p.m. during American She-roes: Women in Leadership at the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce. Free. Call 800.752.2603.
