Laura Ross Wolcott
Laura Ross Wolcott was the first woman physician in Wisconsin and was active in the women’s suffrage movement.
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.
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.
Ramona Villarreal
Ramona Villarreal is a Mexican American activist who has devoted her life to fighting for equality and justice for people with Mexican/Latinx heritage in Wisconsin.
Chia Youyee Vang
Chia Youyee Vang is a leading advocate for Hmong cultural preservation and education.
Sheri Swokowski
Transgender advocate Sheri Swokowski, a former colonel in the U.S. Army, has worked to end discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation.
Doris Thom
Doris Thom, who helped open higher-paying jobs to women in Wisconsin, was the first woman to hold leadership positions in her local labor unions.
Lutie Eugenia Stearns
Lutie Stearns, “the Johnny Appleseed of books,” started free libraries all over Wisconsin and was an outspoken advocate for social justice.
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Nobel Peace Prize winner and Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the first female head of state of any African country.
Hannah Rosenthal
Jewish activist Hannah Rosenthal served as a U.S. special envoy to work against anti-Semitism.