Virginia Women in History

Online biographies are not currently available for women honored between 2000 and 2006.

2013

Resources: 2013 Home | Bulletin

Mary C. Alexander (March 2, 1893–April 16, 1955), Lynchburg
Aviator
One of the first women licensed pilots in Virginia, Mary C. Alexander owned and operated a scheduled air service between Norfolk and Washington, D.C., during the 1930s.

Louise A. Reeves Archer (October 23, 1893–April 1, 1948), Vienna
Educator
A highly respected teacher and principal, Louise Reeves Archer inspired her students through her dedication and commitment to their education.

Elizabeth Ambler Brent Carrington (March 11, 1765–February 15, 1842), Richmond
Civic Leader
Concerned about the plight of orphaned girls, Elizabeth Ambler Brent Carrington helped establish the Female Humane Association of the City of Richmond at a time when women rarely played a role in public affairs.

Ann Compton (b. 1947–), Roanoke
News Correspondent
An award-winning journalist, Ann Compton broke new ground as the first woman White House correspondent for a national news organization.

JoAnn Falletta (b. 1954–), Norfolk
Musician
A dynamic and compelling conductor, JoAnn Falletta is an advocate for contemporary music.

Cleo Elaine Powell (b. 1957–), Brunswick County
Judge
The first Afircan American woman to serve on the Supreme Court of Virginia, Cleo Elaine Powell encourages young people to create a culture of diversity and respect for the law.

Elizabeth Inez Parks Pruitt (b. 1962–), Tangier Island
Physician Assistant
Elizabeth Inez Pruitt fills a vital need in the isolated community of Tangier by serving as its primary health care provider.

Eva Mae Fleming Scott (b. 1926–), Amelia County
Legislator
A pharmacist, Eva Fleming Scott was the first woman elected to the Senate of Virginia.

2012

Resources: 2012 Home | Poster | Bulletin

Susie May Ames (1888–1969), Accomack County
Historian
Susie M. Ames's writings made major contributions to understanding the social and cultural life of seventeenth-century Virginia.

Monica Beltran, Prince William County
Bronze Star Medal recipient
As a result of her heroic actions while under attack in Iraq, Monica Beltran became the first woman in the Virginia National Guard to receive a Bronze Star Medal for Valor.

Christiana Burdett Campbell (ca. 1723–1792), Willamsburg
Innkeeper
Christiana Campbell became one of Williamsburg's most prominent and successful tavern keepers during the Revolutionary era.

Betty Sams Christian (1922–2006), Richmond
Business executive and philanthropist
A president of Central Coca-Cola Bottling Company for more than twenty years, Betty Sams Christian enriched her community through philanthropy.

Elizabeth Peet McIntosh, Woodbridge
Intelligence agent
As an intelligence agent with the Office of Strategic Services, Elizabeth Peet worked in the China-Burma-India theater during World War II.

Orleana Hawks Puckett (d. 1939), Patrick and Carroll Counties
Midwife
Living in a rural mountain region with few doctors, Orleana Hawks Puckett became a midwife and successfully delivered more than 1,000 babies in her community.

Judith Shatin, Charlottesville
Composer
Judith Shatin champions music that blurs the line between acoustic and digital.

Alice Jackson Stuart (1913–2001), Richmond
principal in a 1935 civil rights turning point
By applying to the University of Virginia to pursue graduate studies, Alice Jackson challenged Virginia's laws of segregation.

2011

Resources: 2011 Home | Poster | Bulletin

Lucy Addison (1861–1937), Roanoke
Educator
A pioneering educator, Lucy Addison developed the first accredited high school for Roanoke's African American community.

Eleanor Bontecou (1891–1976), Arlington County
Attorney
Eleanor Bontecou overcame debilitating illness to combat discrimination against Japanese Americans during World War II, study the treatment of conscientious objectors, and counsel federal government employees accused of subversive activities.

Emily White Fleming (1855–1941), Fredericksburg
Preservationist
Emily White Fleming preserved numerous Fredericksburg landmarks for future generations.

Pearl Fu, Roanoke
Civic Leader
By directing the annual Local Colors festival, Pearl Fu celebrates the ethnic and cultural diversity of the Roanoke area.

Lillian Lincoln Lambert, Mechanicsville
Entrepreneur and Author
Overcoming racial and gender prejudices, Lillian Lincoln Lambert became the first African American woman to earn an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Bessie Niemeyer Marshall (1884–1960), Petersburg
Botanical Illustrator
Bessie Niemeyer Marshall created detailed watercolors of plants as part of a federally funded project that rescued a Petersburg park.

Felicia Warburg Rogan, Albermarle County
Vinter
Felicia Warburg Rogan's efforts to promote Virginia's wine industry have earned her the title "the First Lady of Virginia Wine."

Elizabeth Henry Campbell Russell (1749–1825), Saltville
Methodist Lay Leader
Setting a charitable example, Elizabeth Henry Campbell Russell fostered the fledgling Methodist Church in southwestern Virginia as a devoted adherent and through material and compassionate support of the church.

2010

Resources: 2010 Home | Poster | Bulletin

Mollie Holmes Adams (1881–1973), King William County
Upper Mattaponi Leader
Mollie Holmes Adams helped preserve the Upper Mattaponi heritage by passing on the almost-lost art of feather weaving and recording her herbal remedies.

Ethel Bailey Furman (1893–1976), Richmond
Architect
Ethel Bailey Furman was one of the earliest African American women to work as an architect in Virginia.

Edythe C. Harrison (1934–), Norfolk
Civic Leader
Edythe C. Harrison's love of music led her to help found the Virginia Opera Association.

Janis Martin (1940–2007), Danville
Singer and Composer
Known as the "Female Elvis," Janis Martin was a pioneer rockabilly star.

Kate Mason Rowland (1840–1916), Richmond
Writer
Kate Mason Rowland is best known for her biography of her great-great-granduncle George Mason.

Jean Miller Skipwith (1748–), Mecklenburg County
Book Collector
Jean Miller Skipwith, Lady Skipwith, assembled one of the largest libraries owned by a Virginia woman early in the nineteenth century.

Queena Stovall (1888–1980), Lynchburg and Amherst County
Artist
Taking up painting early in her sixties, Queena Stovall created works that recalled her life in rural Virginia and earned her the title the "Grandma Moses of Virginia."

Marian A. Van Landingham (1937–), Alexandria
Civic Leader
Marian A. Van Landingham founded a one-of-a-kind art center in Alexandria.

2009

2009 Home

Pauline Adams (1874–1957), Norfolk
Suffragist

Caroline Bradby Cook (ca. 1839–), King William County
Pamunkey leader and unionist

Claudia Emerson (1957–), Fredericksburg
Poet

Drew Gilpin Faust (1947–), Clarke County
Historian and President of Harvard University

Joann Hess Grayson (1948–), Harrisonburg
Psychologist and Advocate for Abused Children

Virginia Estelle Randolph (1874–1958), Henrico County
Educator

Mary Randolph (1762–1828), Chesterfield County and Richmond
Writer

Mary Sue Terry (1947–), Patrick County
Attorney General

2008

2008 Home

Lucy Goode Brooks (1818–1900), Richmond
Civic Leader
Having experienced as a slave the devastation of separated families, Lucy Goode Brooks founded the Friends’ Asylum for Colored Orphans.

Providencia Velazquez Gonzalez (1917–), Dale City
Community activist
By striving to improve the lives of those around her, Providencia "Provi" Velazquez Gonzalez serves as an example to her community.

Elizabeth Bermingham Lacy (1945–), Richmond
Judge
The first woman to serve on the State Corporation Commission and on the Supreme Court of Virginia, Elizabeth Bermingham Lacy opened doors for Virginia women in the legal profession.

Frances Culpeper Stephens Berkeley Ludwell (bap. 1634–ca. 1695), James City County
Political leader
As a leader of the Green Spring faction, Frances Culpeper Stephens Berkeley Ludwell influenced the politics of seventeenth-century Virginia.

Sharyn McCrumb (1948–), Roanoke County
Writer
The award-winning novels of Sharyn Elaine Arwood McCrumb celebrate the richness and variety of Appalachian culture.

Patricia Buckley Moss (1933–), Waynesboro
Artist and philanthropist
Patricia Buckley Moss uses the considerable commercial success she has earned as an artist to aid child-related charities and promote the use of the arts to help children with learning disabilities succeed in school and in life.

Isabel Wood Rogers (1924–2007), Richmond
Presbyterian educator
As an educator and author, Isabel Wood Rogers advocated that Christians take an active and responsible interest in the secular world.

Edith Turner (Wané Roonseraw) (ca. 1754–1838), Southampton County
Nottoway (Cheroenhaka) chief
Edith Turner, chief of the Nottoway, successfully navigated nineteenth-century Nottoway and Anglo-American societies while she strove to keep the tribe’s children on the reservation.