Three Columbia Alumnae Join Women's Hall of Fame
Three of the newest inductees into the National Women's Hall of Fame are Columbians: Bella Abzug, a 1944 graduate of the Law School; Zora Neale Hurston, a 1928 graduate of Barnard and an anthropology graduate student under Franz Boas, and R. Louise McManus, a long-time professor at Teachers College and graduate of that school.
The Women's National Hall of Fame is located in Seneca Falls, N.Y., where in 1848 Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott and 300 others convened the first Women's Rights Convention and formally initiated the campaign for women's right to vote.
Since the Hall was founded in 1969, 107 American women have been inducted in recognition of their enduring contributions in art, athletics, business, government, philanthropy, humanities, science and education.
Bella Abzug, a Congresswoman (D-NY) from 1971 to 1977, is known for her legal and political career and for her work on urban problems, women's issues and human rights.
Zora Neale Hurston (1901-1960), author of eight books, including Mules and Men, and Their Eyes Were Watching God, was the first black woman to graduate from Barnard College, in 1928.
The Hall of Fame acknowledged her work as a novelist, folklorist, anthropologist and preserver of African-American folk customs and history.
R. Louise McManus (1896-1993) earned the B.S. in 1925, the A.M. in 1926 and the Ph.D. in 1947, all from Teachers College, where she served on the faculty from 1925 until her retirement in 1961.
McManus was recognized for her pioneering work in the field of nursing and as a leader in establishing nursing training programs in colleges and universities.
Columbia University Record -- December 9, 1994 -- Vol. 20, No. 12