HOW DO I NOMINATE A HISTORY MAKER FOR THE SITE?

You can use our nomination form to submit a new name for consideration. Please note that we have over 400 nominations already!

HOW DO I ADD OR CHANGE INFORMATION IN A HISTORY MAKER’S PROFILE?

To suggest changes to a profile – such as updating or adding new biographical information, suggesting “Learn More” links, or offering a different photo option – please email [email protected]. Be sure to include sources for your suggestions so that our team can verify the information you provide. Please note that some changes may not be accepted.

CAN I WRITE A PROFILE?

Yes! We ask that you receive confirmation that a nomination was accepted before you begin writing. Email us at [email protected] to express your interest in drafting a profile. If we decide to accept the nomination, we will share the editorial guidelines for you to follow while researching and writing. We ask that you keep a detailed list of resources and the facts you use from each. Once your draft is complete, our staff will fact-check and edit it for content, grammar, and length. The Office of the Gender & Women’s Studies Librarian and the UW Board of Regents will maintain copyrights to any written profiles included in WWMH. Your name will be included as the writer once the profile is added to the site.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO WILL BE INCLUDED ON THE SITE?

When the project first started, we had an Advisory Board of experts and leaders from across Wisconsin to help decide what women would be included on the site at launch. Currently, staff in the UW Office of the Gender and Women’s Studies Librarian manage the nominations. To be considered, a person must be a woman and have in some way made a significant contribution to Wisconsin’s and/or women’s history. One doesn’t necessarily have to have been born in Wisconsin but must have spent enough time here to have done something that has made an impact. This project is inclusive of trans women and non-binary individuals.

HOW CAN I VOLUNTEER FOR THIS PROJECT?

If you are interested in helping with the WWMH project, please email [email protected]. Volunteers can help us research, write profiles, find photographs, and more.

DO YOU EVER GIVE PRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE PROJECT?

Yes! We welcome requests for presentations about this project, ideas for programming or partnerships, and more. Please contact [email protected] with inquiries.

HOW CAN I MAKE A DONATION TO THE PROJECT?

Please email our project manager, Karla Strand, about donations at [email protected].

I MADE A NOMINATION A LONG TIME AGO, AND I STILL DON’T SEE IT ON THE SITE. WHAT’S TAKING SO LONG?

The process from nominating a woman for inclusion in WWMH to the final profile being on the site is a long one. First, our staff carefully considers each nomination for inclusion. Currently, we have over 400 nominations! Once a nomination is accepted, the following process takes place:

1. Research – We research the woman using primary and secondary sources and keep a list of resources used.
2. Write – We draft a profile according to our editorial guidelines.
3. Fact-check and edit – We fact-check and edit each profile so that it is correct, well-written, and clear. Most profiles go through several rounds of editing by multiple people.
4. Find a photo – We work with the Wisconsin Historical Society, women’s families, and others to find and obtain permission to use a photograph of the woman on the site.
5. Upload – When the profile is finalized, we upload it to the site, including location information, the photograph, a printable PDF, and more.

While this project is lucky to have many supportive partners and friends, it is centrally maintained by just three people who work in the UW Office of the Gender & Women’s Studies Librarian. Our student coordinator only works a few hours a week, and our staff have many other responsibilities. We appreciate your patience during the process, which deserves time and effort to ensure profiles are well-written and accurate. If you have a question about your nomination, please contact us at [email protected].

WHY DID YOU INCLUDE THAT WOMAN?

This project is intended to honor women (trans, non-binary, and cis) who have made significant contributions to Wisconsin’s history. This entails the inclusion of multiple viewpoints and backgrounds, including those that some may disagree with. Women are complicated and nuanced, and therefore, their history is as well. The inclusion of a specific person on the site does not mean the project, its employees, or the UW endorses their political affiliation, occupation, or any specific action or viewpoint. However, we also do our best to establish a boundary between including diverse viewpoints and allowing harmful rhetoric to circulate. Please feel free to contact us with any specific concerns at [email protected].