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| Maryland Women's Heritage Center | Volume 3, Issue 4
Summer 2011
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August 26th is Women's Equality Day! First instituted in 1971, Women's Equality Day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, through which women won the right to vote. It is also a day to celebrate women's continuing efforts toward full equality. Although women did not fully gain the right to vote until 1920, Margaret Brent of St. Mary's City, MD, was the FIRST colonial woman to ask for the right to vote in 1648. Celebrate this special day by visiting the Maryland Women's Heritage Center!
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501 (c) (3) Non-Profit Organization
39 West Lexington Street, Baltimore
(At the corner of Liberty and Lexington Streets)
Admission is Free!!!
Hours of operation: Wednesday - Saturday,
10 am - 4 pm*
*At times the Center is closed for special events or due to weather conditions. Please check the website ahead of time for special notices.
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Maryland Women's Heritage Center
501 (c) (3) Non-Profit Organization
Frances Hughes Glendening, Former First Lady of Maryland and President of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center
Jill Moss Greenberg, Executive Director
Catherine "Katie" Curran O'Malley, First Lady of Maryland
Kendel S. Ehrlich, Former First Lady of Maryland
Nancy S. Grasmick, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools
Sharon Pinder, The Pinder Group, LLC
Michelle Duffy Orr, Treasurer
Helen Holton, Baltimore City Councilwoman
Shoshana S. Cardin, Honorary Development Chair
Audrey E. Scott, Co-Chair, Development Committee
Betty Buck, Co-Chair, Development Committee, and President of Buck Distributing Co., Inc.
Linda A. Shevitz, Program Chair and Senior Equity Specialist, Maryland State Department of Education
Susan Morris Shaffer, Mid-Atlantic Equity Consortium
Mark L. Shaffer, Counsel and Site Selection Chair Charles Edward Senseney, Accountant Susan Elgin, Chair, Maryland Commission for Women Susan Lee, Chair, Women Legislators of Maryland Lori Askinazi Diana Bailey
Sarian Bouma
Lynne Brick
Linda Busick Penny Chrissomallis Rita R. Colwell Patricia E. Cornish Catherine R. Gira Joanne T. Goldsmith
Artis G. Hampshire-Cowan
William "Brit" Kirwan Juanita Tamayo Lott David H. Nevins Jo-Ann Mayer Orlinsky Maria Torres Queral Rita L. Robinson Carole Sibel Nancy Lindberg Sloane Carolyn B. Stegman
Rhonda Tomlinson
Carmen Delgado Votaw Sue Ward Kathy Wilmot Honorary Board:
Dominique Dawes, Olympic Champion
Helen Delich Bentley, Former Congresswoman and First Woman Director of the U. S. Maritime Commission
Barbara A. Mikulski, United States Senator
Cokie Roberts, Commentator and Author
Nora Roberts, International Best-Selling Author of Mystery and Romance Novels
*Lucille Clifton, Poet and Author, Former Maryland Poet Laureate (*Deceased)
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Quarterly Newsletter
The Maryland Women's Heritage Center's quarterly newsletter provides updates on events and activities of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center. If you have any comments or questions, please e-mail us. |
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Letter from the Program Chair
It has now been one year since the Maryland Women's Heritage Center opened its doors, in donated space, thanks to the generosity of David Hillman of Southern Management Corporation.That site has enabled us to provide a home for the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame, honor the Unsung Heroines in all of our lives, and provide programs - onsite and around the state - for excited preschoolers through experienced elders!
This first year has been absolutely incredible, far exceeding our expectations for the variety of programs, diversity of visitors, and involvement of people and organizations from around the State of Maryland and well beyond.We were selected as one of the Top Nonprofits in the United States and identified as Maryland's "Best Kept Secret" by Maryland Life Magazine. Our initial "Maryland Women Leading the Way" timeline exhibit, Generations for Justice, has inspired many students and adults alike and may be seen at the Center through August.
Now, the Maryland Women's Heritage Center has developed a new timeline exhibit, Explorations and Discoveries: Maryland Women in Science Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), which is scheduled to open in September 2011. Maryland women of past and present generations have made significant contributions in a wide range of STEM areas, and girls and young women from diverse backgrounds throughout the state are leading the way for future generations. The timeline will honor and celebrate these important contributions.
Biographical profiles and photos, as well as related objects and materials will highlight dozens of women in fields such as aerospace, agricultural sciences, archaeology, astronomy, aviation, biology, botany, climatology, computer science, engineering, geology, mathematics, medicine, nursing, pharmacology, public health, STEM education, technology, and zoology. Materials that have been collected include such items as artifacts used by Maryland Civil War nurses, objects taken into space by astronaut Mary Cleave during her 1985 and 1989 missions, sample "clean suites" used by contemporary science researchers, models of aerospace crafts, and robotic items made by students. Resource videos and books written by and about Maryland women in STEM fields will also be displayed.
In addition, a partnership was created with the women at Goddard - NASA Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. As a result, a special Women of Goddard exhibit and a new booklet developed and produced by Goddard women will be featured. The booklet and display will honor more than 100 Women of Goddard in many STEM fields.
During the coming year the Heritage Center will host programs and activities related to Maryland women and girls in STEM-related endeavors.We hope that you will join us to Explore and Discover the important and remarkable contributions of Maryland women. The exhibit's opening date will be announced later this summer. Please visit the Center's website at www.mdwomensheritagecenter.org for more information.
Linda Shevitz, Program Chair
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 Help Make September 22 National Day of the Girl!
The Day of the Girl campaign is working to achieve a day of recognition and understanding for girls everywhere. Inspired by ongoing efforts at the United Nations to establish an International Day of the Girl, the campaign urges President Barack Obama to declare September 22, 2011 as the National Day of the Girl.
The Day of the Girl is about highlighting, celebrating, discussing, and advancing girls lives and opportunities across the globe. When girls come together to talk about things that really matter to us, we can teach other people-grownups, boys, girls all across the world-a new way of thinking about issues like gender stereotypes, discrimination, and opportunity.
This campaign is a project of School Girls Unite, an organization of students and young women leaders in the United States and in Mali working to advance the U.N. Millennium Development Goals related to gender equality and universal basic education, as well as child marriage prevention and other human rights issues. School Girls Unite, started by girls in Montgomery County, Md., is also a partner of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center.
Sign the petition to make September 22nd National Day of the Girl!
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Congratulations to MWHC Board Member Carolyn Stegman
Congratulations to Maryland Women's Heritage Center Board Member Dr. Carolyn Stegman, who was recently named a recipient of Salisbury University's 2011 President's Distinguished Community Leadership Award.
Carolyn has been called a "champion of diversity, women's rights [and] the aging." She also is a "thought-provoking catalyst" for global understanding and social change. She has taught communication, education and psychology to students at Salisbury University, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Wor-Wic Community College for two decades. A cultural events supporter, Carolyn helped bring singer/songwriter Holly Near, Nobel laureate Toni Morrison and feminist leader Gloria Steinem to SU. She also has opened her home to international visitors, from Tibetan Monks to exchange students.
A longtime volunteer, consultant and past board chair for MAC Inc., Carolyn is currently developing its 50+ Network for Creative Engagement to empower older adults to achieve the greatest creative potential within themselves, their relationships and their community. She recently wrote a successful $1.5 million grant for the new Salisbury-Wicomico Senior Services Center, and obtained funding to build its therapy garden for dementia and Alzheimer's clients. She hosts MAC's PAC-14 show, covering issues facing older adults, and writes and edits its newsletter. She is a member of the Wicomico Commission on Aging and has served on Life Crisis Center and American Cancer Society boards. |
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Today's Maryland Women Making History
 A female general from Baltimore was recently appointed to the top post at Parris Island, marking the first time in its 96-year history that the famed Marine Corps training depot has been headed by a woman. Brigadier General Loretta Reynolds took command of the historic South Carolina base on June 17th, 2011. Parris Island graduates about 20,000 Marines annually and is the only site where female enlisted Marines are trained to enter the service. As a one-star general, Reynolds becomes only the third female general officer in the more than 200,000-member Marine Corps. The service has two two-star female generals, one in the active duty ranks and another in the Marine Corps Reserve. This isn't the first time this Baltimore native has made history. Reynolds was the first female Marine ever to hold a command position in a battle zone. Also making headlines is University of Maryland student Judy Wexler, who recently became the first woman to pilot a human-powered helicopter. On May 12, 2011 the 24-year-old biology student piloted the human-powered helicopter Gamera, designed and built by students of the University of Maryland's School of Engineering, and achieved lift-off and hovered for 4.2 seconds, thereby establishing the U.S. national records for the duration of a human-powered helicopter flight and the duration of a human-powered helicopter flight by a female pilot. 
Above: University of Maryland students watch Judy Wexler pilot Gamera. Congratulations to these two pioneering Maryland women!
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MWHC Board Member Retires As Maryland Superintendent of Schools
Nancy S. Grasmick, Vice-President of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, retired on June 30th after serving 20 years as Maryland Superintendent of Schools. We thank her for all that she has done for our State, especially for all of Maryland's children. We look forward to continued work with her as we further the Maryland Women's Heritage Center.
Above: Dr. Grasmick with Jill Moss Greenberg, MWHC Executive Director
Above, Jill Moss Greenberg poses with MWHC President Frances Hughes Glendening, Barbara Sher, and Vickie Rosellini at Dr. Grasmick's retirement party.
Above, Carol Silberg and Joanne Goldsmith from the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, join Nancy Grasmick, Congressman Steny Hoyer, and Thalia Resnick at Grasmick's retirement party.
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Equal Rights Amendment Reintroduced
On the heels of the Supreme Court's ruling that female employees could not bring a class-action sex discrimination suit against Wal-mart, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) re-introduced the Equal Rights Amendment on June 22, 2011. Maryland Senator Barbara A. Mikulski is a co-sponsor of this legislation. If the Amendment passes, the U.S. Constitution will explicitly ban gender discrimination.
Written by suffragist Alice Paul (pictured right) in 1921, the ERA was first introduced in 1923 and is considered one of the pioneer acts of the women's rights movement in the United States, even though it was never ratified. Today, the ERA currently has 160 co-sponsors including Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI), Chair of the Congressional Women's Caucus. The ERA has been reintroduced every year since it fell three votes short of ratification in 1982.
In an official statement, Congresswoman Maloney said, "The Equal Rights Amendment is still needed because the only way for women to achieve permanent equality in the U.S. is to write it into the constitution ... Making women's equality a constitutional right-after Congress passes and 38 states ratify the ERA-would place the United States on record, albeit more than 200 years late, that women are fully equal in the eyes of the law."
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The Maryland Women's Journals
"Women Making a Difference"
By Jill Moss Greenberg, MWHC Executive Director
As one of our media partners, The Maryland Women's Journals includes an article in every issue provided by the Maryland Women's Heritage Center that highlights an Unsung Heroine in Maryland.
 The current (July/July) issue of The Maryland Women's Journals highlights Ginny Gong (pictured right). Click here to read the latest article about Ginny Gong online, or view it below.
The State of Maryland is home to many women 'firsts' and 'founders' who are highlighted and honored at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center.
In addition to the renowned women who are known far beyond our state, there are innumerable women in each of our lives who have sustained our families, taught or volunteered in our schools, worked for social justice and shaped our communities-often behind the scenes, serving anonymously, without recognition and praise. The Maryland Women's Heritage Center is committed to telling and preserving the stories of these unsung heroines and honoring their many contributions.
One of these extraordinary Unsung Heroines is Ginny Gong of Gaithersburg, Md. A successful businesswoman and highly respected community leader, she has successfully overcome the challenges she faced as a young Chinese immigrant growing up in America.
Ginny was six years old when she came to the United States with her family in 1954. She has said she struggled for balance between her dual roles as a child in America and a Chinese daughter growing up under the roof of her parents' laundry business in New York. She chronicles her family's struggles to survive the challenges of life in a strange country in her autobiography, From Ironing Board to Corporate Board: My Chinese Laundry Experience in America.
"Identifying books that I could relate to was always a challenge when I was growing up," said Ginny. "Although there were books about Asia and its people, books on the Asian American experience were seriously lacking. My hope is that this book fills that void and will be included in the recommended and/or suggested reading lists of schools across the nation."
Educated in public schools and at public universities, Ginny worked as a public school teacher in systems all across the country for more than 15 years. Most of what keeps Ginny focused is her passion to educate and help others, and she has become an influence within the Asian community nationally and internationally.
She has served four terms as the National President for OCA, a Pan-Asian American organization founded in 1973 with 80 chapters/affiliates nationwide. The organization recently made history by establishing the OCA National Center for Asian Pacific American Leadership and, as such, is the first Asian American organization to acquire a home in Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.
Ginny currently serves as Executive Director for the Interagency Coordinating Board for Community Use of Public Facilities in Montgomery County, Md., and is responsible for facilitating the community's use of all public facilities and coordinating its needs for programs and services, as well as managing its multi-million Enterprise Fund. Prior to this position, she was a countywide Human Resources Administrator for Montgomery County Public Schools.
She was appointed to the Governor's first Asian American Advisory Committee and the Governor's Advisory Council on New Americans, serving as its first chairperson. In 2008, she was honored as the recipient of the Women of Achievement Award. Recently, in January 2011, Ginny was honored at the Maryland State Educators Association's (MSEA) Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Breakfast and Minority Recognition Program with the Minority Recognition Award for Leadership.
She also serves as a member of many boards and committees on the local, state, and national levels, including Montgomery Community Television, Universities at Shady Grove, and MGM Mirage Advisory Board. She is a member of the Advisory Board of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center.
In her "spare time," she hosts her own weekly talk show series, "Ginny's...Where East Meets West," where she discusses issues affecting the Asian American community and features Asian Americans. Guests on the show include community activists, opera singers, reality TV show winners, authors, journalists, and business executives, just to name a few.
Ginny is also the founder and president of GG Communications, a human resources management consulting firm specializing in presentations and training on cross cultural competency, immigrant acculturation, the Asian American community, compliance and related laws, education and its changing role, and school/community partnerships.
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 Women Who Received Honorary Degrees in 2011 from Highest-Ranked Universities
WIAReport (Women In Academia Report) has compiled a list of women who have received honorary degrees from a group of the nation's highest-ranked universities during the recent spring commencement season. All told, these universities presented 38 honorary degrees to women. Judith Jamison and Lisa Randell each were awarded two honorary degrees from this group of top research institutions.
Brown University and the University of Notre led all the top research universities by awarding four honorary degrees each to women. Dartmouth, Harvard, and the University of Pennsylvania all awarded honorary degrees to three women.
Click here to see the list of this year's honorees.
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Women Who Left A"Stamp" on History
A new exhibit is now on display at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center. This engaging activity was created by retired Baltimore County public school librarian Jeanne Cooper, who is a member of the Heritage Center's Program Committee.
The Women's History Postage Stamp exhibit highlights women have made a significant contribution to society and as a result, they (or works of art created by them) have been pictured on U.S. postage stamps. The exhibit also features a hands-on scavenger hunt activity where visitors can read clues about historical women and search through a large collection of U.S. postage stamps to match the woman with her commemorative stamp.
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 Call for Volunteers and Docents
Docents are needed to staff the Maryland Women's Heritage Center during regular operating hours. We are looking for volunteers who will be able to staff the Center at least one day per month. We're also always looking for volunteers to join our committees, help with our programs and events, and other tasks. Those interested in donating their time should contact Ellie Elgin at 410-767-3045.
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 Spirited Woman of Baltimore Awards Luncheon
The Maryland Women's Heritage Center is once again supporting the annual Spirited Woman awards, now in its fifth year, which honors three spirited women and benefits the American Red Cross of Central Maryland.
The winners of this year's awards will be announced soon, and will be honored at the annual awards luncheon at Morton's The Steakhouse on August 17, 2011 from 11:30 am to 2 pm. If you would like to attend the event, tickets are $50 each if purchased by August 10 and $60 each if purchased after August 10, or at the door.
A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales benefits the American Red Cross of Central Maryland. To purchase tickets, visit www.MyCity4Her.com, call 410-327-9090, or e-mail [email protected] or [email protected].
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 The Power Conference: Women Doing Business!
The Maryland Women's Heritage Center is again proud to support The Power Conference: Women Doing Business event presented by the Women's Business Consortium and several women business organizations of the Washington metro area.
The conference, which will be held at the Bethesda Marriott Conference Center on Wednesday, September 7, addresses hot topics in business, including Business Development and Contracting, Technology and Marketing, and Personal Development for Business Growth, and features over breakout sessions, a large exposition area, a "meet the vendors" one-on-one dedicated area, book signings, and a luncheon meeting. Tickets are $109 per person for those who register early and $149 at the door. For more information or to register online, visit www.thepowerconference.com.
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 Society for Women and the Civil War Conference
On July 29-31, The Society of Women and the Civil War, in partnership with the Maryland Historical Society, will be presenting "Riots to Relief": A Border State Goes to War, 1861-1865. The three day conference will be held at the College of Notre Dame in Baltimore, Maryland, with some events taking place at other Baltimore locations. The conference will feature a keynote lecture by Maryland State Archivist, Dr. Rob Schoeberlein, entitled "Riots to Relief & Beyond--Baltimore Women & the Civil War." This speech will "highlight Baltimore women's roles in the war from the riots of 1861 to the post-war memorial efforts. He will give special emphasis to the Baltimore Sanitary Fair in 1864." For more details about the conference, and to register, visit www.swcw.org.
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A Special "Thank You" to Our Donors The Maryland Women's Heritage Center received a generous $2,500 donation from the Enterprise Holdings Foundation earlier this month. Pictured below from left to right are Tiffany Gomez, Christine Ghassemieh, and Jeff Arney from Enterprise, and MWHC Board Member Audrey Scott and Executive Director Jill Moss Greenberg.  Generous donations such as these will help us honor, preserve, and transmit the stories of women and girls in your life, your community, and in the history of our state. If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, click here. Donation Levels: Heritage Hero/Heroine $5,000 Heritage Champion $1,500 Heritage Leader $500 Heritage Sustainer $250 Heritage Preserver $150 Heritage Supporter $75 Opportunities are available for significant sponsorship and naming of programs and components of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center. For information about these enduring opportunities, contact Audrey Scott, Development Co-Chair, at 410-304-2051. |
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Recent Heritage Happenings
Dress for Success Power Walk
May 7, 2011
Lake Montebello Park, Baltimore
The Maryland Women's Heritage Center was a promotional sponsor of Baltimore's 1st Annual Dress for Success Power Walk. This 5K (3.1 miles) fun walk supported the career development and employment retention programs of Dress for Success Baltimore.
She Matters Girls' Empowerment ConferenceMay 14, 2011
4H Youth Conference Center, Chevy ChaseThe Maryland Women's Heritage Center exhibited at the She Matters Girls' Empowerment Conference. The mission of the conference is to empower every girl to embrace life, pursue her dreams and fulfill her destiny. Pictured in the group of photos below on the left is MWHC Board Member Rhonda Tomlinson who staffed our informative display.    
5th Annual Women Spanning the Globe June 1, 2011
Visionary Arts Museum, Baltimore The Maryland Women's Heritage Center proudly supported World Trade Center Institute's 5th Annual Women Spanning the Globe event which was held at the Visionary Arts Museum. The event celebrated women's global achievements and featured diverse speaker panels consisting of high profile women in leadership positions ranging from the corporate world to government as well as two ambassadors.     ABC/Women in Construction Event Thursday, June 9, 2011 Maryland Women's Heritage Center For the second year in a row, ABC/Women in Construction held an evening reception and silent auction at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center. The event raised scholarship funds to encourage girls and young women to enter the construction trades. ABC member Martha Elliott coordinated the event and MWHC Board Member and ABC member Kathy Wilmot helped along with many ABC members and friends.    
Baltimore Women's Classic 5K June 26, 2011
Rash Field, BaltimoreThe Baltimore Women's Classic 5K is the only female-only race in Baltimore and the second oldest women-only race in the U.S. The Maryland Women's Heritage Center was honored to co-sponsor the event for the second consecutive year, and had a booth on display at the post-race Festival Village. Proceeds from the event will provide vital support to women undergoing gynecologic cancer treatments.    Professional Development Academy:Focus on Women's History June 27, 2011
Maryland Women's Heritage Center, Baltimore
The Baltimore City Public Schools presented a 2-week U.S. History Professional Development Academy, focusing on groups often not fully represented in history courses. The all-day session was held at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, and featured a tour of the Center, a presentation on Eleanor Roosevelt by a noted national scholar, Allida Black, and a lively panel discussion featuring four Rosie the Riveters, Maryland women who recounted their experiences working in traditional male jobs building airplanes during World War II. One of the 35 senior high school teachers participating in the day noted, "As I walked through the Maryland Women's Heritage Center, I was impressed by the scope of impact that a small state like Maryland has had on the progress of women. There are many different Maryland women in many different fields who have advanced women!" Pictured below are four Rosie the Riveters. 
Renaissance Institute Visits MWHC
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Maryland Women's Heritage Center
Lively participants from the Renaissance Institute at The College of Notre Dame of Maryland enjoyed an informative, interactive program at the Maryland Women's Heritage Center. Members of the group proposed holding further sessions about women's history and significant areas within their Fall programming. The Renaissance Institute will be holding an informational open house in August.
 
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Maryland Women's Heritage Center Mission
The mission of the Maryland Women's Heritage Center is to preserve the past, understand the present, and shape the future by recognizing, respecting, and transmitting the experiences and contributions of Maryland women of diverse backgrounds and regions.
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Maryland Women's Heritage Center
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We are proud to partner with the following organizations that support the creation of this historic first:
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