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Though denied the vote until 1920, women in West Virginia have long led in politics and civil rights. Working-class women joined unions like the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union, while affluent women pushed for suffrage, prison reform, and prohibition. In recent years, groups like the Coal Employment Project and Women and Employment have advocated for women’s access to higher-paying jobs in industries like coal mining.
Born in Ohio and raised in Point Pleasant, Poffenbarger became a key political figure. She first gained attention in 1888 by demanding to speak at West Virginia's Democratic convention, later becoming a dedicated Republican. She bought and saved t...
Williams v. The Board of Education Fairfax District (1898) was a significant but often overlooked civil rights victory, predating Brown v. Board of Education by over 50 years. Williams challenged the Tucker County Board of Education’s decision to ...
This Fayette County native became a fierce advocate for coal miners' rights after witnessing the hardships they faced. Her activism was shaped by early involvement with the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) and her family's struggles during th...
This Marion County native played key roles in the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and the West Virginia Equal Suffrage Association, advocating for women's rights and the passage of the 19th Amendment.Beyond suffrage, Yost worked on publi...
Born in New Jersey, she began as an actress and women's rights advocate before becoming a political leader. After her husband's death, she managed their Kingwood farm.In 1920, she made history by becoming the first woman to second a presidential n...
Born in eastern Kanawha County, Gates was West Virginia's first female legislator, serving in the House of Delegates from 1922 to 1923. She focused on education, child welfare, and women's rights, advocating for public services, good roads, educat...
Harper made history in 1928 as the first Black woman to serve in a state legislature, filling the unexpired term of her late husband in the West Virginia House of Delegates. Her appointment marked a significant moment in both women's political inv...
This Fayette County native served 12 terms in the West Virginia House of Delegate. Her background in banking and her nickname "Pistol Nell" reflect her boldness and quick thinking. Her role at the Winona National Bank, especially during multiple r...
A Virginia native raised in West Virginia’s coalfields, Garrison’s early exposure to the struggles of working-class families shaped her activism and work as an educator. As a teacher and welfare worker in Gary, she worked to resolve racial tension...
The first Black woman elected to the West Virginia state legislature, Drewry was a strong advocate for racial equality, women's rights, and labor reform. Born in Virginia and raised in McDowell County, she attended Bluefield Colored Institute (now...
The first female member of Congress from West Virginia, Kee filled the seat of her late husband, Congressman John Kee, in a special election. Supported by the United Mine Workers, she won a close race and became a strong advocate for coal miners, ...
Gilmore was a trailblazer as the first Black woman licensed as a funeral director in West Virginia and Kanawha County. Beyond her funeral home, she played a pivotal role in civil rights activism, leading boycotts and demonstrations through the Cha...
Holt made history as the first woman to hold statewide office in West Virginia, serving as Secretary of State in 1957. Though she lost her reelection bid in 1958, she continued her public service as Assistant Commissioner for Public Institutions, ...
A Putnam County native, Brown was a trailblazer for women in law and politics. Appointed to the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) by President Johnson in 1964, she became its first female chair in 1969, making history as the first woman to lead...
A Charleston native, Hallanan was West Virginia's first female federal judge. She made history as the first woman to serve as a judge of a court of record and lead Kanawha County's first full-time juvenile court. Her appointment to the Public Serv...
A Mercer County native, Dickens was a pioneering musician who preserved West Virginia’s traditional vocal styles while supporting coal miners, labor unions, and working-class people. Her songs, like "West Virginia, My Home" and "Black Lung," captu...
A Charleston native, Ireland made history in 2004 as the first woman elected to West Virginia's executive branch as Secretary of State. With a background in teaching, business, and public service, she gained experience as a business owner and exec...
A Charleston native, Workman earned a law degree from WVU in 1974 and began her law practice. Appointed to the Kanawha Circuit Court in 1981, she became the first woman elected to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in 1988.Workman served a...
A Hamlin native, Purkey's musical style, shaped by her church and family, became a tool for social change. Her activism, ignited in the 1980s, was closely tied to her marriage to coal miner and union leader Bethel Purkey. During the 1989 Pittston ...
A Charleston native, Pritt was the first woman to run for governor of West Virginia as a major party candidate. She began her career as a teacher, later serving in the House of Delegates and state Senate. In 1992, she lost the Democratic primary f...
A Sutton native, she began as an elementary teacher and progressed to roles as a reading specialist, principal, and superintendent of Kanawha County schools. In 2011-2012, she became West Virginia's first female school superintendent. She contribu...
Miller represents West Virginia's First Congressional District, becoming only the third woman to serve in Congress from the state. Born in Columbus, she has a political family background, with her father, Samuel L. Devine, being a former Ohio cong...
A Raleigh County native, Bonds highlighted the environmental and health impacts of mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia. Raised in the Coal River Valley, her activism was deeply personal, shaped by witnessing the devastation caused by the coal...
A Glen Dale native and daughter of former governor Arch A. Moore Jr., Capito began her political career in the West Virginia House of Delegates before winning the Second District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000. She became the fi...
Born in Hinton, Burwell graduated as valedictorian from Hinton High School and later earned a degree in government from Harvard University. She was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, studying philosophy, politics, and economics. In the Clinton Administra...
Born in Fairmont in 1967, Tennant became the first female Mountaineer mascot at West Virginia University in 1990. After working in TV news, she ran for secretary of state in 2004 but lost in the Democratic primary. In 2008, she won the office and ...
West Virginia Women through History
This Exhibit has 8 Sections