Other Remarkable Stories
Jackie Cochran and Nancy Love
The Remarkable Women of the Women Air Force Service Pilots
Nancy Love and Jackie Cochran were young, amateur pilots when they formed the WASPs (Women Air Force Service Pilots) in the aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. About 1,100 WASPs taught thousands of new recruits to fly all types of military aircraft across Europe and Japan. The women ferried plans from factories to airbases, flight tested aircraft and freed male instructors to fly missions. Despite resistance from Maj. General Henry Arnold, the WASPs proved to be the secret weapon in America’s ability to win the air war. By the end of the war, Arnold finally admitted that “women can fly as well as men.”
Anna Murray-Douglass
The Remarkable Woman Behind Frederick Douglass
Anna Murray Douglass was an American abolitionist, member of the Underground Railroad, and the first wife of American social reformer and statesman Frederick Douglass, from 1838 to her death. She was born in Denton, Maryland and lived in Washington, D.C.
Lee Krasner and Peggy Guggenheim
The Remarkable Women Behind Jackson Pollock
Lee Krasner and Peggy Guggenheim were behind the success of American modern artist, Jackson Pollock. Krasner, his wife, set her own career aside to support his work, despite his raging alcoholism and self-destructive behavior. Art collector and gallery owner, Guggenheim, recognized his genius and marketed his work through her innovative gallery in New York City as well as internationally.
Ann Lowe
The Remarkable Forgotten Designer Behind Jackie Kennedy’s Wedding Dress
When Jackie Kennedy married John F. Kennedy in 1953, her wedding dress was considered the height of stylist elegance. Unfortunately, no credit was given to Ann Lowe, the African American designer who opened a salon on Madison Avenue to serve as a couturier to celebrities and high society matrons. Born in the Deep South, Lowe broke barriers throughout her life, but was not publicly recognized even when Olivia De Havilland wore her Lowe dress on stage to accept the Oscar in 1946. Clients who bought Lowe’s sophisticated ensembles considered Lowe their “best kept secret” because of her gender and race.
Emily Roebling
The Remarkable Woman Who Built the Brooklyn Bridge
Emily Roebling was the structural engineer who completed the Brooklyn Bridge after her husband, William fell ill. They kept her involvement in the project a secret, fearful that the investors might back out if a woman was in charge. In 1893, she rode across the completed bridge in a horse-drawn carriage. Today, she has been recognized with a special park, Emily Roebling Plaza, located underneath the Brooklyn Bridge.