Barrier-Breaking Women

Many cheered at the announcement that Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore have been admitted membership in the prestigious, formerly all male, private golf club.  Some say it is one more step in the eradication of institutionalized sexism. Others say that although it is the right thing to do and long overdue, it does not impact the lives of women beyond the upper echelon.  How do you feel about this news?  Will it cause ripples that extend to the lives of women of all socio-economic classes?  Will it be a catalyst for change in America beyond private golf courses?

I cheered too.  However, I cheered for the accomplishments of these two outstanding women.  The résumé of Ms. Rice includes:  U.S. Secretary of State, accomplished pianist, and provost at Stanford University.  Ms. Moore is a partner in Rainwater Investments and it is said that she tripled profits. Additionally, Ms. Moore is well known for her philanthropic contributions.  True, they broke this barrier.  Many feel that it was a matter of time. What I say is that these two women are shining examples of the success of women in American in 2012.  These are women that our youth can look to as role models.

Another wonderful outcome of the Augusta National membership announcements is that it has sparked the conversation of the progress of American women.  While breaking the barrier at Augusta may not add an extra dollar to the average woman’s paycheck and most of us will never see the inside of the Augusta National locker room, it does matter.  Step by step, over history, our nation progresses.

Take a look at some of the highlights in U.S. women’s history:

1776	Abigail Adams is an early champion of women’s rights. In a letter to her husband John Adams, she urges lawmakers of the Continental Congress to “Remember the Ladies…. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands.”
1849	Elizabeth Blackwell is the first woman to graduate from medical school in the U.S.
1916	Jeannette Rankin of Montana is the first woman elected to Congress.
1920	The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote.
1925	Nellie Tayloe Ross is the first woman governor of a state (Wyoming).
1932	Hattie Wyatt Caraway of Arkansas, first woman to win a Senate seat in her own right when she wins a special election. She is also the first to chair a Senate committee and to preside over the Senate.
1933	Frances Perkins is sworn in as secretary of labor - first woman to serve in the U.S. Cabinet.
1941	Linda Darnell is the first woman to sell securities on the New York Stock Curb Exchange.
1947	Gerty Cori becomes the first American woman to win a Nobel Prize in the sciences and her research advances the treatment of diabetes.
1964	Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race or sex.
1967	Muriel Siebert is the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange.
1968	The EEOC rules that sex-segregated help wanted ads in newspapers are illegal. This ruling is upheld in 1973 by the Supreme Court.
1970	Elizabeth Hoisington is the first woman to become brigadier general of the U.S. Army.
1972	Title IX of the Education Amendments bans sex discrimination in schools.
1972	Katherine Graham is the first woman CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
1978	The Pregnancy Discrimination Act bans employment discrimination against pregnant women. Under the Act, a woman cannot be fired or denied a job or a promotion because she is or may become pregnant, nor can she be forced to take a pregnancy leave if she is willing and able to work.
1981	Sandra Day O’Connor is the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, serving until 2006.
1983	Astronaut Sally Ride is the first American woman in space, flying on the shuttle Challenger.
1984	Geraldine Ferraro is the first woman nominated for vice president by a major party.
1993	Janet Reno is the first woman attorney general of the United States.
1997	Madeleine Albright is sworn in as the first woman U.S. secretary of state.
2007	Nancy Pelosi is sworn in as the first female speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
2009	The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is signed as law. It allows victims of pay discrimination to file a complaint against their employer within 180 days of their last paycheck.