Nellie Y. McKay was one of the first scholars to bring attention to the writing of African American women authors.

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.

Chia Youyee Vang is a leading advocate for Hmong cultural preservation and education.

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.

Sister Joel Read served for 35 years as president of Alverno College and became widely known and respected for her innovative education reforms.

Kathryn "Kate" Morrison was the first woman elected to the Wisconsin State Senate.

Katharine Lyall was the first woman president of the University of Wisconsin System.

Patricia "Patty" Loew is a celebrated journalist, filmmaker, and educator about Native Americans in Wisconsin.

Estella Leopold was a paleobotanist and conservationist who conducted ground-breaking research on fossilized pollen.

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