Notable American Women: The Modern Period: A Biographical Dictionary

by Barbara Sicherman, Harriette Walker (Editor), Carol Hurd Green (Editor)

The life stories of American women--442 of them--who have in some way affected contemporary American life are explored in this lauded companion to Notable American Women, 1607-1950 . The basics--the crucial dates, ancestry, parents, education, marital status, and children--provide invaluable material for both the researcher and the general reader. Beyond these essentials, a brief essay focuses on each woman's life and personality, and evaluates her career from a historical framework. Sixteen new pages of photographs specially selected for the paperback edition have been included.

Genres: History, Science, Nonfiction, Feminism

816 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

I write about women, privileged and not, real (Jane Addams, Ida B. Wells, Edith and Alice Hamilton, Charlotte Perkins Gilman) and imagined (Jo March, Marjorie Morningstar). My recent book, "Well-Read Lives" tells moving stories of how young women born in Victorian times lost--and found--themselves in books and worked out a life purpose around them. By discovering the meaning of reading to women in the past, today's readers can gain insight into their own lives. I taught at Trinity College for many years and live in West Hartford, Conn. with my Maine Coon cat, Sascha.

http://uncpress.unc.edu/books/T-8614....

Reviews

[Dayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 1980 edition, prepared under the auspices of Radcliffe College, gives short biographies on "notable women" from America.

Such luminaries as Ethel Barrymore, Margaret Sanger (whom every girl should know), Rachel Carson, Hattie McDaniels, Alice B. Toklas, Gertrude Stein and Eleanor Roosevelt.

In the introduction, Eleanor Roosevelt is singled out for the many avenues she used to increase the number of women in meaningful employment.

" The unique position of Eleanor Roosevelt, a social reformer and political figure in her own right by the time her husband became president of the United States." Just one example provided shows the ladder Eleanor held for all women. "Roosevelt's close working relationship with Mary Dewson, head of the Women's Division of the Democratic National Committee, pave the way for high-level appointments of women in the federal government. The most important of these is Frances Perkins, who was selected as the first woman cabinet officer not only symbolized women's new standing in the Democratic party.

BTW, Frances Perkins gets her own entry into the list of this biographical dictionary, Volume 4.

[Mary K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sicherman, B., & Green, C. H. (1980). Notable American women : The modern period : a biographical dictionary.Cambridge, Mass.: BelkPress of Harvard University Press.

Citation by: Mary K Smith

Type of Reference: Biographical Reference

Call Number Ref: CT3260 .N573

Content/Scope: Contains the life stories of American women who have affected contemporary life.

Accuracy/Authority/Bias: Barbara Sicherman is a professor at Trinity College.
Arrangement/Presentation: Biographies of women are listed in alphabetical order.

Relation to other works: Volume 4 in the collection

Accesibility/Diversity: Geared towards high-school level students or even a Women’s Studies college course. The word text is small and there are few pictures so it may overwhelm many students and be hard to find exactly what he/she is looking for.

Cost: $52.50

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cool reference book with a helpful index in the back.