Topics Related to Women's History Month

Noted Black Educator Charlotte Hawkins Brown

Noted African-American educator and founder of the Palmer Memorial Institute, Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown was born in Henderson.

The Federation of Women’s Clubs

Clubwomen played an important role in shaping North Carolina life during the 20th century. Their influence extended to the ballot box, the workplace, public health, library development, the arts, conservation and literacy.

Early Female Journalist Mary Garber

A pioneer in the field of sports journalism, Mary Garber worked for the Winston-Salem Journal and its predecessor, the Twin City Sentinel, for more than 60 years.

Labor Leader Ella Mae Wiggins

One of North Carolina’s best known folk heroines, Ella Mae Wiggins is most famous for helping to organize Gaston County mill workers for better working conditions and higher wages.

Pioneering Postmaster Sarah Decrow

Though she was first woman postmaster in the United States after the adoption of the Constitution, Sarah Decrow was born and died in near obscurity.

Important Early Nurse Mary Wyche

Mary L. Wyche was chiefly responsible for establishing nursing as a profession in North Carolina.

Noted Photographer Bayard Wootten

Pioneering North Carolina photographer Bayard Wootten achieved numerous firsts in her field, often endangering her safety to get the picture. Before shifting to photography, she designed the first trademark for Pepsi-Cola. In 1910 Wootten protested sexual discrimination in a professional publication and later took part in suffrage demonstrations.

Renowned Suffragette Gertrude Weil

Perhaps North Carolina’s best known woman suffrage leader, Gertrude Weil came from a long line of social, religious and political activists.

Reconstructing Tryon Palace

Restoring North Carolina’s eighteenth-century capitol, “Tryon’s Palace,” was a daunting prospect in 1929 to all but a small network of visionary ladies, each with ties to the state’s cultural and historic societies. 

Brother Exum—the First Female Legislator in the South

Lillian Exum Clement, called Brother Exum by her fellow legislators, was the first woman in the South to hold legislative office, taking her seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1921.