On appearance, Rosanna “Rosie” Hackett looks like a sweet little old Irish woman but by all accounts, she was a furious unionist and influential member of the labour scene. I first found out about her whilst working in Glasnevin Cemetery where she is buried, the genealogist at the museum angrily showed me her death certificate … Continue reading Rosie Hackett – Tales from Wo-Fan’s Land
If you’ve heard of Dr. Karen Horney, I’m guessing that you have taken an introductory psychology course. (At least that’s where I heard of her, and now that I teach psychology courses my students tell me they have never heard of her before.) Like me (and my students), you might have learned that she was … Continue reading The Penis Envy Blues: Karen Horney and the Birth of Feminine Psychology – Tales from Wo-Fan’s Land
Arabella “Belle” Babb Mansfield (May 23, 1849-August 1, 1911) – is best known for being the first woman in the United States to pass the bar examination and the nation’s first female attorney. At the time she sat for the bar, Iowa law required applicants for bar admission to be white, male, and over the … Continue reading Arabella Babb Mansfield – Tales from Wo-Fan’s Land
The year was 1947 and television was in it’s infancy. Cleveland, Ohio was the home of the first TV station between New York and (Chicago). She saw informing others as her calling; be it as a teacher, lecturer, or newsperson. She was given 13 weeks on TV – tops; she remained for 37 years. She … Continue reading Dorothy Fuldheim – Tales from Wo-Fan’s Land
Hedy Lamarr. Born in Vienna, Austria in 1914 to wealthy cultured Jewish parents. First rose to prominence portraying the first non-pornographic film nude and simulated sex scenes at age eighteen in the movie Ecstasy, which was denounced by the Pope and banned in the US (for lewdness) and in Germany (for having a Jewish lead … Continue reading Hedy Lamarr – Tales from Wo-Fan’s Land
Born June 17, 1865, Susan La Flesche Picotte ignored what was expected of a Victorian Native American woman, to become the first female Native American doctor. Historyreaders.com tell us Susan was the daughter of bi-racial parents, who each had white fathers and Native mothers. Her father, Joseph La Flesche, also called Iron Eye, was chief … Continue reading Susan La Fiesche – Tales from Wo-Fan’s Land
Most people who have heard of 'Pippi Longstocking' - a red-haired, freckled, fiercely independent and anti-authoritarian girl - might also be familiar with the name of her creator: the children's book author Astrid Lindgren. As long as I can remember I thought of Astrid Lindgren as a kind and gentle looking, elderly lady. I never … Continue reading Astrid Lindgren (1907–2002) – Tales from Wo-Fan’s Land
Adelina Myers, a 12 or perhaps 13 year-old girl born in Virginia of immigrant German-American parents, was killed in an explosion while working her shift at the ammunition factory, the city’s worst wartime accident during the American Civil War, on Friday the 13th, March 1863. Among the victims were girls even younger than Adelina. Blame … Continue reading Adelina Myers – Tales from Wo-Fan’s Land
The first time I heard about Elizabeth Fleischman was my first day of school to become a radiological technologist. The only thing said about her was that she was one of the first women in x-ray and the first women to die from the effects of x-ray. This intrigued me, but since school was about … Continue reading Elizabeth Fleischman – Tales from Wo-Fan’s Land
I listened to the first few podcasts in anticipation of the release of Frank Turner’s No Man’s Land album not quite knowing what to expect. I was intrigued by Turner’s focus on stories of women he believed needed telling. After hearing the story of Sister Rosetta, a woman who I had never heard of, I … Continue reading Mary Turner – Tales from Wo-Fan’s Land
History Is Important 