Category Archives: short biographies

Alice Hamilton: the Woman Who May Have Saved Your Life

By Linda Harris Sittig OK, raise your hand if you have ever worn a mask over your nose and mouth. I am hoping for 100% participation. Covid 19, anyone? But did you ever stop to wonder whose idea it was … Continue reading

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Johanna Bonger: Saving the Legacy of Vincent van Gogh

by Linda Harris Sittig A few years back, while traveling in France, I stood at the foot of two tombstones: Vincent van Gogh and his brother Theodore van Gogh. Little did I know that their fame and legacy were due … Continue reading

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Jovita Idár: Fighting for Justice

by Linda Harris Sittig I must admit that before this month, I had never heard of Jovita Idár. Nor did I know a Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement started in Texas back in 1911 and continues to this day.               And I … Continue reading

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Ruth Handler: Bringing Barbie to Life

By Linda Harris Sittig I know, I know. You might be thinking, “Barbie? Seriously?” But, yes, I am. With the popular Barbie movie out and the Barbie doll still number one of the top ten best-selling toys of all time, … Continue reading

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Françoise Gilot: Strong Woman

by Linda Harris Sittig I don’t usually profile a Strong Woman so soon after she has passed, but I am making an exception this month. French artist Françoise Gilot died recently at 101, having led an extraordinary life. She became … Continue reading

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Josephine Diebitsch Peary: Arctic Explorer

by Linda Harris Sittig I often find fascinating, strong women through their husbands. Like Karin Bergöö, a talented textile artist married to Swedish painter Carl Larsson.  And Mileva Marić, a brilliant mathematician married to Albert Einstein (his first wife). Anne Morrow, … Continue reading

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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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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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