Sara Grajek

May 8, 2011

Throughout history, there have been many great women to look to as role models. Harriet Tubman, Clara Barton, and Rosa Parks made history by standing up for what they believed in and for those who needed their help. We have made heroes out of these amazing women, and yet there are many other lesser known stories, just as much a part of our history, available at Rowan Public Library.

The Mercury 13: The Untold Story of Thirteen American Women and the Dream of Space Flight which takes place in 1960 and 1961. Author Martha Ackmann writes of 13 women selected to undergo the same rigorous testing as the Mercury 7 astronauts (which included Alan Shepard and John Glenn). Hoping to become astronauts, the women endured a battery of tests that at times seemed to border on torture. One such test, designed to see how a person would react to orbiting in a gravity-free state required the insertion of a large syringe into the ear. Cold water was trickled into the test subject’s eardrum, to throw off their balance. Nurses evaluated how quickly – or slowly - the test subject reacted. Test subjects reported loss of movement in their hands, rapid movement of the eyeballs, and staggering disorientation. The worst part was repeating it in the other ear. While preparing for the third phase of testing, the 13 were informed by NASA that they would not be moving forward. Sending a woman into space was not a priority and although the women of Mercury 13 had come further than any other in training, it would take until 1983 before a woman astronaut made it into space.

The Woman Behind the New Deal by Kirstin Downey tells the life and achievements of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Labor Secretary. Frances Perkins became the first female Secretary of Labor, agreeing to take the post in 1933 just after a plunge in the American economy that sent real estate values plummeting, un-employment rising, and the stock market into a free fall. Firm in her belief that many thought themselves wealthy, but had little savings; that companies had spent money on expensive machinery to boost productivity and employed fewer workers; Perkins created a list for the new president hoping to make a difference. After FDR was sworn in, he consulted with Perkins. She outlined her dream plan for revamping the Labor Department. In short, the department would need to provide work for the unemployed with short term public works projects, prohibit child labor, limit work days to eight hours, create a minimum wage, implement workers compensation, create unemployment compensation, provide social security for the elderly and move responsibility for immigration to another department. In their final form, these would emerge as a series of programs and departments known as the New Deal. Perkins came to the job with a strong background having witnessed the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, served as an Industrial State Commissioner of New York (making her the highest paid woman in government at the time, and due to her talks on fire code and safety became known as a national expert on fire prevention.

Many women have played important roles in history that should be remembered. Browse Rowan Public Library’s shelves to see whose story you can discover.