Category: Education

Image description: A portrait-style photo of Donna Shalala.

Donna Shalala

Donna Shalala was the first woman to head a Big Ten university and the longest-serving secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Image description: A headshot of Caroline Sandin.

Caroline Sandin

Caroline Sandin was a respected civic leader and served on the University of Wisconsin System’s Board of Regents.
Image description: A headshot of Pleasant Rowland.

Pleasant Rowland

Pleasant Rowland founded the American Girls Collection, a popular line of books, dolls, and accessories that features girls living throughout U.S. history.
Image description: A black-and-white photo of Sister Joel Read crossing her arms.

Sister Joel Read

Sister Joel Read served for 35 years as president of Alverno College and became widely known and respected for her innovative education reforms.
Image description: A black-and-white portrait-style photo of Electa Quinney.

Electa Quinney

Electa "Wuhwehweeheemeew" Quinney was Wisconsin's first public schoolteacher.
Image description: A black-and-white headshot of Katherine Lyall.

Katharine Lyall

Katharine Lyall was the first woman president of the University of Wisconsin System.
Image description: A headshot of Patty Loew.

Patricia “Patty” Loew

Patricia "Patty" Loew is a celebrated journalist, filmmaker, and educator about Native Americans in Wisconsin.
Image description: A black-and-white headshot of Gerda Lerner.

Gerda Lerner

University of Wisconsin scholar Gerda Lerner founded the academic field of women's history.
Helen Connor Laird

Helen Connor Laird

Community leader Helen Connor Laird was the inspiration for the Laird Endowment Fund for the Arts in central Wisconsin.
A photo of bell hooks speaking into a microphone.

bell hooks

Best known for her work on gender, race, and class, University of Wisconsin graduate bell hooks was a prolific writer, speaker, and scholar.