Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-06-30
IL GREATEST
WOMEN SOUGHT
In u. S. NOW
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

ID IltiIDISitiS Il cs ItNDtNlAN1
Washington, June 29. - 1t is
ladies' day in the halls of fame.
The League of Women Voters is
earnestly trying to compile a list
of the twelve greatest living Ameri-
can women for the benefit of a
waiting Chilean public,
At the same time the Woman's
Universal Alliance Is busily engaged
in scouting out the famous feminine
dead. The alliance wants to know
the twenty-five greatest women of
world history. Statues of them are
to be erected in the Women's Hall
of Fame that the alliance is to
build in this city. This organiza-
ton is also trying to lind out the
twenty-five greatest women of each
state so that columns about the hall
of fame can bear their names.
These women must be dead, too.
Aside from that, any American
woman is eligible for the list.
Both organizations have invited
the public to help them make a
wise selection Of names for their
particular purpose. and answers
have begun to pour in.
At the headquarters OF the
| League of Women Voters they ad-
nit that they are not much nearer
a solution of their p(Jblem than
when the question was first pro-
pounded. The Chilean senorlta'
Graciola Mandujano, certainly
started something when she cas-
ually asked Mrs. Maud Wood Park,
president of the league, for a doz
names of the greatest American
women. She wanted to write mag
azine stories about them for her
people, the senorita explained. Mrs
Park decided that she needed help
Her casual selection might leave
out women who would be of great
est interest to So1th America. SC
the public was informed of the sit
uation and the excitement started
Wanted as Examples.
You can see that the purpose fol
which the list is to be used mus
guide the selection of the names
Our twelve greatest women or TO-
dav are to be introduced 10 tAe
South American women as lnsplr'
ing examples. They are to 1ndlcate
what American women are achleV'
ING by character, service and talent
The name of Helen Keller, whlcn
has been mentioned in a number
of lists sent to the league, propa'
bly will not be included In the
final selection. Miss Keller has
been an inspiration to thousanus
of the handicapped, but in so prlel
a list the appeal of each name
should preferably be to wider
range of people. Miss Keller'
teacher. Mrs. Sullivan. might be
more helpful example for the WON
on of Chile. The patience, re-
sourcefulness and determination OF
the teacher brought Miss Keller
hack into the everyday world.
It is interesting to note the per
sonal bias that enters into the lists
submitted. Most of the letters
are written by educated Womef
with every desire to be impartial
Yet 1t is possible to tell with reas'
enable certainty whether a set Of
names was chosen by a club WON
an, social worker. or one OF artistt
type. ,-
This is inevitable to certain
extent, and the league is interested
in all of the angles on the famt
question. Scarcely any one per
son is sufficiently familiar with al
occupations to know and compare
the greatness of the leaders. A
woman doctor or scientist coult
name at once half dozen womer
who rank high in her own line o
work. But could you, off-hand
out of your store of general knowl
edge, reel off the names of
great woman doctor, politician
lawyer, poet, scientist. artist, busi
ness woman, mother, and musi
clan? If you did, would anothe
person of your own education
agree with the list? Yet out o
a large number of names, WRITER
as broadmindedly as possible, tn
League of Women Voters thinks !
: will finally be able to arrive a
an intelligent summary of Ameri
, can womanhood.
. The first to respond to tn
. leagues call for assistance hav
! been club women and women in
| terested in politics. The outstand
ing women in these fields figur
prominently in the lists submit
ted. Some are entirely compose
: of leaders in women's movements
: The names of Mrs. Carrie Chap
; man Gait, Mrs. Thomas Winter
Mrs. Maud Wood Park, and Mr.:
; Harriet Taylor Upton occur agai
and again.
: agreement in mentioning grea
; women in other fields. This
strange because politics is a neN
venture for women, while the,
have been artists, nurses, an
teachers for years. Yet not on
nurses name has been mentioned
l or has any scientist been named
and only one woman doctor, an
one educator.
OF the writer's. Agnes Reppliel
Edith Wharton, Amy Lowell, Ag
mes st. Vincent Millay, and VIII
t Gather have been named. 1t
r a. commentary on the critical fac
) ulty of America that other writ
: ers of a more popular style hav
been mentioned more frequentl
, than these.
ESW hCtrcsbcS HrOpOseu.
/ Only a few actresses have bee
proposed: Mrs. Fiske, Julia Mar
, lowe, Ethel Barrymore, Maud
: Adams and Mary Pickford, an
! Ruth st. Denis the only, dancer
The names of Violet Oakley, Ce
celia Beaux and Jessie Wilco
, Smith are put forth as women ar
|. lists of note.
Other nationally known wome
proposed include Mrs. Harding
Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, Jane Ad
dams, Ida Tarbell, Julia LathroI
and MALTA Mallory.
A member of the league com
ments on the fact that no America
beauty has been included in tn
lists SO tar. "If this were a cen
tury ago, or even fifty years ago,
she said, I'VE should surely hav
received the name of some reignin
toast, famous for nothing but he
. wit and baaiItv II dn not haliey