In the past, Women have generally been told to stick to the gender stereotypes that continue to separate men from women today. Without the bold women that have chosen to be different and to fight for what they believe in, our world would be a much different place. Despite the odds against their favor, certain women in Purdue History have overcome the challenges that have blocked them from achieving the future they so desire. These women have paved the way for future generations, and act as an inspiration to the future women of Purdue University.
Eulora J. miller
In the late 19th century, it was fairly rare for women to receive a higher education. Women simply didn't have the support or the opportunity to gain knowledge as men did. Eulora Jennings Miller (pictured left) was the very first woman to graduate from Purdue University. Eulora graduated in 1878, and shaped a path for future women to do just as she had done. Eulora proved to other women of her time that it was possible to attain a higher education if you were bold enough to make your own decisions, regardless of what others will think of it. As an undergraduate, Eulora also served as the first president of the Philalethean Society, an organization
"effected for the literary needs of the young ladies at Purdue." Upon
earning a Bachelor's of Science degree, Eulora Miller became Purdue's first
professional librarian, and continued her career in librarianship at the Pratt
Institute in Brooklyn. Eulora continued on with her studies at Columbia University in New York where she gained notoriety as a dramatist and produced four plays, including Mrs. Oakley's
Telephone, Tom's Fiancée, Dinner at the Club, and Die Prinzessin Barnof. (collections.lib.purdue.edu)
Martha Doan
Creating equality for women has been a constant struggle throughout the past. The American Association of University Women (AAUW), officially founded in 1881, is a non-profit organization that advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research (aauw.org). Martha Doan graduated from Purdue with a BS in 1891. Martha worked as a professor of chemistry and the Dean of Women for Earlham College from 1915 until 1926. During this time, Martha became a member of
the Advisory Committee for the Indiana Historical Commission and served as a
delegate for the 1925 convention of the American Association of University
Women. A few years after her death, the Martha Doan Memorial
Garden in Westfield, Indiana was dedicated in her honor by the local Women's
Club (collections.lib.purdue.edu). Martha should be remembered for her valiant effort to promote gender quality and ability to overcome those who push her back.
Janice E. Voss
Engineering, even today, is a career dominated by men. Before Purdue's Women in Engineering Program (WIEP), women had a harder time becoming successful in Engineering related fields (engineering.purdue.edu). A woman that stands out for her astonishing success in this field is Janice Voss. Janice graduated from
Purdue in 1975 with a Bachelor's of Science in Engineering and went on to earn
a Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. In 1991, she became an astronaut, and has since logged 5 space
flights, spending a total of 49 days in space and traveling 18.8 million miles
in 779 Earth orbits. Currently, Dr. Voss is the Science Director for the Kepler
spacecraft at NASA Ames Research Center, and focuses her research on Earth-sized
planets around distant stars (jsc.nasa.gov). Janice is a prime example of how women can be just as successful (if not more) than men in careers dominantly represented by men. With hard work and strong motivation, Janice proves that women can succeed in any field they so desire.