Women in Education

Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to receive a doctorate in the United States, earning her M.D. from the Geneva Medical College in New York in 1849.

Mary Lyon founded Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, in 1837, making it the first women's college in the United States.

Anna Julia Cooper was the first African American woman to earn a doctorate in the United States, receiving her Ph.D. in history from the University of Paris in 1887.

Mary McLeod Bethune founded the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) in 1896, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of African American women and their families.

Sandra Feldman was the first woman to serve as president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), holding the position from 1974 to 1978.

Bella Abzug founded the National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC) in 1971, an organization dedicated to increasing the participation of women in politics.

Shirley Hufstedler was the first woman to serve as Secretary of Education in the United States, holding the position from 1980 to 1981.

Lucy Sanders founded the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) in 1997, an organization dedicated to increasing the participation of women in technology fields.

Drew Gilpin Faust was the first woman to serve as president of Harvard University, holding the position from 2007 to 2018.

Malala Yousafzai founded the Malala Fund in 2013, an organization dedicated to providing education for girls around the world, after she was shot by the Taliban for advocating for girls' education.

Marion Talbot was the first woman to serve as president of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), holding the position from 1889 to 1892.

Sarah J. Hale founded the National Women's Education Association (NWEA) in 1855, an organization dedicated to promoting the education of women.

Cornelia Meigs was the first woman to serve as president of the National Education Association (NEA), holding the position from 1920 to 1921.

Ella Flagg Young founded the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) in 1917, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of teacher education.

Hannah Holborn Gray was the first woman to serve as president of the American Council on Education (ACE), holding the position from 1984 to 1993.