Timeline: 1951-Present

Image description: A photo of Bonnie Blair wearing her Olympic gold medals.

Bonnie Blair

Bonnie Blair is a world record-holding speed skater, a six-time Olympic medalist and the most decorated woman in Winter Olympic history.
A headshot of Miriam Ben Shalom in her drill sergeant uniform.

Miriam Ben Shalom

Miriam Ben Shalom was a drill sergeant in the U.S. Army before being discharged for her sexual orientation; she was later the first LGBT serviceperson ever reinstated.
Image description: A photo of Lynda Barry holding up a drawing.

Lynda Barry

Lynda Barry, assistant professor of interdisciplinary creativity at the UW-Madison, is a celebrated cartoonist, author, speaker, and instructor.
Image description: A portrait-style photo of Carol Bartz folding her arms in front of a blue screen.

Carol Bartz

Carol Bartz is the former president and CEO of the internet company Yahoo!
Image description: A headshot of Tammy Baldwin.

Tammy Baldwin

Tammy Baldwin was the first woman elected to represent Wisconsin in Congress and the first openly gay senator in U.S. history.
Image description: A black-and-white portrait-style photo of Ineva Reilly Baldwin.

Ineva Reilly Baldwin

Before Ineva Reilly Baldwin championed the “Wisconsin Idea,” she was a U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant commander during World War II—the highest rank ever attained by a woman at that time.
Image description: A portrait-style photo of Debra Amesqua in her fire chief uniform.

Debra Amesqua

Debra Amesqua was the first woman chief of the Madison Fire Department and one of the first women fire chiefs in the country.
Image description: A black-and-white photo of Shirley Abrahamson raising her right hand, presumably being sworn in as a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice.

Shirley Abrahamson

Shirley S. Abrahamson was the first woman justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the first female chief justice in state history.