Author Archives: lhsittig@verizon.net

Josie Cook Murray: Unsung Hero of the Civil Rights Movement

by Linda Harris Sittig Do you own a library card? Have you ever walked into a library to use their materials? Have you ever checked out a library book? Like many Americans, you most likely answered YES to at least … Continue reading

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Joan B. Mansfield: She Gave Away Her Fortune to Benefit Others

By Linda Harris Sittig You may not recognize Joan Beverly Mansfield, but you most likely have played a part in her life. JOAN’S EARLY LIFE Born in 1928 in Minnesota to a storekeeper father, and a mom who played the … Continue reading

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Eleanor Jackson Piel: Defender of the Downtrodden

by Linda Harris Sittig Eleanor Jackson Piel might owe her amazing law career to 8 words uttered to her by an immature college boy who said, “You’re not smart enough to be a lawyer.” Her reaction? She promptly applied to … Continue reading

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Fanny Eyal Ben-Ami: Tenacious Holocaust Heroine

by Linda Harris Sittig January was Holocaust Remembrance Month, paying homage to the 11 million victims of the Holocaust. It was almost seventy-eight years ago, in 1945, the death camp of Auschwitz was liberated, and the world at large learned … Continue reading

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Belle Jennings Benchley: Animal Rights Champion

by Linda Harris Sittig Long before we had Hollywood stars campaigning for animal rights, there was Belle Jennings Benchley. BEFORE THE ZOO Born in August 1882 to a strait-laced Victorian family in rural Kansas, Belle’s future was mapped out to … Continue reading

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Hedwig Kiesler: More than Just a Pretty Face

By Linda Harris Sittig Do you use Wifi or GPS, or a cell phone? Then you should know the story of one strong woman whose research and inventions were the precursor to much of our day-to-day technology. But I bet … Continue reading

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Alice Guy-Blaché

By Linda Harris Sittig While my husband and I lived in rentals for 90 days this year, waiting for our new house to be finished, we watched films every night. A lot of films. We revisited old favorites and fascinating … Continue reading

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Virginia Estelle Randolph: Keeping the Dream Alive

by Linda Harris Sittig In the early 1900s, Virginia E. Randolph’s dream was for every Black child in the South to get a decent education. She was not the only one to hold fast to that dream. Today, the names … Continue reading

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Pearl Kendrick and Grace Eldering: Saving Children’s Lives

by Linda Harris Sittig While there is a current controversy over vaccinations, there was a time in our not-so-distant past when a vaccination could mean the difference between life and death for a young child. EARLY HISTORY OF VACCINES We … Continue reading

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Joye Hummel: Ghosting Warrior Writer Invisible No More

by Linda Harris Sittig Ghostwriting is nothing new; it has probably been in practice since the days of ancient history. And the large majority of ghostwriters never receive proper credit for what they wrote because it was often attributed to … Continue reading

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