The 100th Anniversary of International Womens Day (1911-2011) is Tuesday, March 8th:
If you missed today's WGVU Morning Show with Shelley Irwin, celebrate International Women's Day tomorrow when her interview with Janet Sjaarda Sheeres about her groundbreaking work on women's immigration history will be posted on the WGVU website-click on "podcasts" for a preview of Sheeres program on Thursday.
On Thursday, March 10th, the Greater Grand Rapids Women's History Council is especially excited to sponsor its first program on the often-ignored topic of immigrant women. Janet Sjaarda Sheeres will share fascinating detail about the arrival of nearly eight hundred single women joining the Dutch community in the U.S. at the turn of the twentieth century. The light shed on their stories will also illuminate the situations of single women from other ethnic groups arriving in Grand Rapids during that period. Join us for:
Single Dutch Immigrant Women in Grand Rapids, 1880-1900 Thursday, 7:00 pm, at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, 303 Pearl NW Free and open to the public.
Born in the Netherlands herself, independent scholar and author Janet Sjaarda Sheeres has been able to search Dutch sources about the plight of women and their occupations in 
the Netherlands and to follow them to Grand Rapids to uncover conditions for them in their new homeland. Sheeres has published dozens of articles on Dutch historical and genealogical topics and has served as president of the Association for the Advancement of Dutch American Studies. Learn more about her and this program.
Women's History Month Finale! Enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres and wine ticket bar on Thursday, March 31st, 5:00-7:00 pm, Women's City Club. WGVU's Shelley Irwin will host a celebratory reception and brief program, "Women Leaders During Hard Times: The Kent County Commission," featuring current chairwoman Sandi Frost Parrish and the first female Commission chair Marge Byington Potter-as well as Grace Ames Van Hoesen, commissioner from 1930-1938! Reserve early for the Women's History Month final event! (KSIrwin73@aol.com or 616-454-2425)
This week's live link to Grand Rapids women's virtual history from the Grand Rapids Historical Commission:
Photo Essay of the Week: In today's political world Helen May Meade would probably have the title Chief of Staff, but when she oversaw the city hall offices of 7 mayors and 12 city managers for twenty-five years from 1945 to 1971 her title was "secretary." Read about this remarkable woman: Helen M. Meade, Secretary Extraordinaire.
Check our calendar on the GGRWHC website anytime: Watch your e-mail and Facebook accounts for updates during the month, and help us spread the word about March programming by clicking on the "Forward to a Friend" button at the top of this newsletter. If you have received this as a forward, click on the "Join Our Mailing List" button in the left column and receive the next newsletter directly from us. Now start marking your calendar for Women's History Month!
