Alphabetical: w

Dorothy Walker

Dorothy Walker

Trial lawyer Dorothy Walker was the first female district attorney in Wisconsin.
Ingrid Washinawatok

Ingrid Washinawatok

Ingrid Washinawatok, which translates to “Flying Eagle Woman,” was a celebrated human rights advocate for Indigenous peoples who was killed in South America.
Helen C. White

Helen C. White

Helen C. White was the first woman to hold a full professorship in the College of Letters and Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls Wilder

The first book in author Laura Ingalls Wilder’s popular LITTLE HOUSE series is about Wilder’s childhood in Wisconsin.
Nellie Wilson

Nellie Wilson

Nellie Wilson spent her life fighting for employment opportunities for women and was the first African American woman to hold a leadership position in her local steelworkers union.
Glenn Wise

Glenn Wise

Glenn Wise became the first woman to hold a statewide public office in Wisconsin when she was appointed secretary of state in 1955.
Laura Ross Wolcott

Laura Ross Wolcott

Laura Ross Wolcott was the first woman physician in Wisconsin and was active in the women’s suffrage movement.