Be inspired by fascinating men and women whose drive and determination transformed our country and our lives.
Founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA
This week the Girl Scouts are celebrating their 100th year of scouting. The idea for the Girl Scouts started with Juliette Gordon Lowe.
Girl Scouts Turn 100: Profile of Founder Juliette Gordon Lowe (1860-1927) Read More »
Yesterday I walked over to my branch library and applied for my Los Angeles library card. I couldn’t leave without perusing the bookshelves, and there in the “973” category of the Dewey decimal system I found an illustrated book for adults called Frontier Living.
Call me “easy to please,” but I thought this was terrific! (I also loved the fact that the 1961 copyright pre-dated zip codes; the book was published in “Cleveland 2, Ohio.”)
Frontier Living: Cowhands Read More »
Finding kindred spirits has become easier via the Internet. For a couple of years I have subscribed to a blog called “Restauranting through History” where I have been able to read about tea rooms and restaurants with curb service as well as the story of the Reuben sandwich and the tradition of live music in restaurants.
Restaurants of the Past Read More »
I want to close Women’s History Month with thoughts of the future. An email from a reader last week said it perfectly: “Based on what these women have accomplished, I see great potential for women of today and the future.”
I agree. Tuesday night two of my daughters and I attended a program at New York’s 92nd Street Y featuring Marissa Mayer, the young woman who is Employee #20 at Google and is now vice president of location and local services. Suddenly I felt very hopeful. After years of worrying that America wasn’t really making as much progress as we had hoped when the women’s movement built speed in the 1970s and ‘80s, I began to re-think my concern.
The Future of Women: Michelle Obama and Marissa Mayer Read More »
Jane Cannon Swisshelm was born in Pittsburgh in 1815. Her father was a Presbyterian minister who died when Jane was only eight. Without him to provide for them, the family faced financial hardship so Jane had to quit school and work with her mother at lacemaking. When she was fourteen she was able to get a job as a teacher. (At a later date, I will investigate the changes in teaching requirements in American schools.)
Jane Swisshelm, Journalist, Abolitionist, Women’s Rights Advocate Read More »
Jennie Grossinger was born in Austria in 1892 to parents who wanted to save enough money to bring the family to America for a better life. When Jennie was five, her father emigrated, and three years later he had saved enough money to bring Jennie, her younger sister, and her mother to New York; they lived on the lower east side. Her father, a former real estate overseer, was now a coat presser; life was not easy.
Jennie Grossinger (1892-1972), Garment Worker to Resort Owner Read More »
