March 2021 Women’s History Month

Capt MJ

Capt MJ

Serviam.
15-Year Member
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Sep 27, 2008
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Post about interesting women who are part of our human history, not necessarily military, but perhaps ones not in everyday history books.

CAPT (Ret) Sunita Williams, USN, USNA ‘87

www.nasa.gov

Sunita L. Williams - NASA

Sunita (Suni) L. Williams was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1998 and is a veteran of two space missions, Expeditions 14/15 and 32/33. She is
www.nasa.gov www.nasa.gov

Or Countess Lovelace, often called the world’s first computer programmer, from the 1800’s.

www.britannica.com

Ada Lovelace | Biography, Computer, & Facts

Ada Lovelace, English mathematician, an associate of Charles Babbage, for whose digital computer prototype, the Analytical Engine, she created a program in 1843. She has been called the first computer programmer. Ada Lovelace Day, the second Tuesday in October, honors women’s contributions to...
www.britannica.com www.britannica.com
 
Eagle26 said:
Dr. Sheila Widnall, attended MIT when only 2% of the students were women, Secretary of the Air Force, has scientific instability named after her. She was actually born in the area where I live, and she recently came to my school's Science Club to speak about her experiences and research.
https://news.mit.edu/2020/sheila-widnall-lifetime-exploring-unknown-1009
Click to expand...
Thanks for the post! Sheila Widnall was my daughter's Academic Advisor at MIT up until this year. Sheila only took on a handful of students and my daughter had to apply. It was funny when my daughter told my retired AF wife who her advisor was. My wife told her that she served under Sheila and that blew my daughter away. It blew me away too that my daughter had access to an academic advisor who was a Sec. of the AF. At the college I teach, the academic advisors are usually 20 somethings who graduated from the school.
We got to meet Sheila. She's an amazing woman and so frickin' smart. She whipped out stories on every topic that came up, from the shuttle to Kelly Flynn to the AF should be keeping Space Force. My daughter said students thought she would brag in class, but we had to point out that she wasn't bragging, she was simply bringing up the many experiences she'd been involved with. We experienced this in our meeting with her - casual comments about working with so and so, on the shuttle, etc.
Sheila was a great help and inspiration to my AFROTC daughter majoring in Aerospace and looking at an AF career, and my wife and I are proud we had the pleasure of meeting her. My daughter and friends have heard comments from male students there that females are only at MIT because they're female (thanks to those kids' parents for instilling this BS into their kids), so it was good that there were powerful and accomplished women for her to use as a resource.
Thanks for posting about Sheila.
 
This is a cool recognition story that I'm sure most have never heard of - "the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, more commonly referred to as the “Six Triple Eight.” The battalion was the only all Black female unit overseas during WWII...they were sent to sort the massive backlog of mail in the European theater. Reports indicate the women were confronted with warehouses stacked to the ceilings, Christmas packages, love letters, and in some cases, final correspondence between loved ones lost...But, in many cases, instead of appreciation, they faced racism, sexism, and segregation."

All Black, female battalion closer to Congressional Gold Medal - link​

Great post topic idea CAPT (Ret) Sunita Williams, USN, USNA ‘87!
 
Capt MJ said:
3/3
Madam C.J. Walker
She must have been a walking force of nature, given what she accomplished in the time she lived in.
www.history.com

Madam C. J. Walker - Products, Hair & Facts | HISTORY

Madam C.J. Walker became a self-made millionaire and a noted philanthropist thanks to her successful line of homemade hair care products for Black women.
www.history.com www.history.com
Click to expand...
Isn't that the truth! There's a Netflix movie about her, I haven't watched it yet.
 
I am not sure how broadly this is known.

The country had a wartime need that brave women volunteered to fill.

A few more than 1,100 young women, all civilian volunteers, flew almost every type of military aircraft — including the B-26 and B-29 bombers — as part of the WASP program. They ferried new planes long distances from factories to military bases and departure points across the country. They tested newly overhauled planes. And they towed targets to give ground and air gunners training shooting — with live ammunition.

www.npr.org

Female WWII Pilots: The Original Fly Girls

About 1,100 young women flew military aircraft stateside during World War II as part of a program called Women Airforce Service Pilots — WASP for short. These civilian volunteers ferried and tested planes so male pilots could head to combat duty. The groundbreaking program lasted only two years...
www.npr.org www.npr.org
 
1614788000459.png
Second Pic from the left has Janie Mines "80" and her sister Gwen Mines "81". Janie was the sole African American woman in the Class of 1980 and subsequently the first African American Female grad. Her path through USNA, especially as a plebe was difficult and she handled it with grace and style. She was a companymate and continues to be a friend.
 
unkown1961 said:
Thanks for the post! Sheila Widnall was my daughter's Academic Advisor at MIT up until this year. Sheila only took on a handful of students and my daughter had to apply. It was funny when my daughter told my retired AF wife who her advisor was. My wife told her that she served under Sheila and that blew my daughter away. It blew me away too that my daughter had access to an academic advisor who was a Sec. of the AF. At the college I teach, the academic advisors are usually 20 somethings who graduated from the school.
We got to meet Sheila. She's an amazing woman and so frickin' smart. She whipped out stories on every topic that came up, from the shuttle to Kelly Flynn to the AF should be keeping Space Force. My daughter said students thought she would brag in class, but we had to point out that she wasn't bragging, she was simply bringing up the many experiences she'd been involved with. We experienced this in our meeting with her - casual comments about working with so and so, on the shuttle, etc.
Sheila was a great help and inspiration to my AFROTC daughter majoring in Aerospace and looking at an AF career, and my wife and I are proud we had the pleasure of meeting her. My daughter and friends have heard comments from male students there that females are only at MIT because they're female (thanks to those kids' parents for instilling this BS into their kids), so it was good that there were powerful and accomplished women for her to use as a resource.
Thanks for posting about Sheila.
Click to expand...
Wow, what an amazing story! She definitely does have a way with words and it's easy to tell how intelligent she is. I was blown away when she started telling us about going supersonic in an F-15 over Alaska!
 
USMCGrunt said:
I am not sure how broadly this is known.

The country had a wartime need that brave women volunteered to fill.

A few more than 1,100 young women, all civilian volunteers, flew almost every type of military aircraft — including the B-26 and B-29 bombers — as part of the WASP program. They ferried new planes long distances from factories to military bases and departure points across the country. They tested newly overhauled planes. And they towed targets to give ground and air gunners training shooting — with live ammunition.

www.npr.org

Female WWII Pilots: The Original Fly Girls

About 1,100 young women flew military aircraft stateside during World War II as part of a program called Women Airforce Service Pilots — WASP for short. These civilian volunteers ferried and tested planes so male pilots could head to combat duty. The groundbreaking program lasted only two years...
www.npr.org www.npr.org
Click to expand...
I love the WASPS!
 
Capt MJ said:
I love the WASPS!
Click to expand...
Ditto for the actual female pilots of WWII vinatage.

Not so much for their namesakes who have bedeviled me over the years during yardwork or other outdoor activities.

Mezza Mezza toward the Connecticut (for example) variety. . .
 
Nice post by @USMCGrunt regarding WASPs. A woman that I find fascinating is Jaqueline “Jackie” Cochran. She was a true pioneer and leader in the nascent stages of women in aviation. She was the head of the WASPs during WWII and later was the first woman to fly faster than the speed of sound.

Images from Wikipedia: Jackie Cochran during wartime service and later with Chuck Yeager (RIP).

200px-Jacqueline_Cochran_1943.jpg 220px-Cochrane_with_Yeager.jpg
 
Not necessarily past history, but history in the making - all-women leadership team appointed for the Senate Sergeant at Arms. security office headed up by Retired Army Lt. Gen. Karen Gibson. Link
 
Rosalind Franklin, the name you don’t hear about in association with DNA research.
www.biography.com

Rosalind Franklin - DNA, Facts & Death

British chemist Rosalind Franklin is best known for her role in the discovery of the structure of DNA, and for her pioneering use of X-ray diffraction.
www.biography.com www.biography.com
 
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