Federal Woman's Award

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The Federal Woman's Award, also known as the Federal Women's Award, was given by the United States Civil Service Commission from 1961 until 1976.[1]

President John F. Kennedy meets with recipients of the 1962 Federal Woman's Award, 1962.
President John F. Kennedy meets with recipients of the 1962 Federal Woman's Award for outstanding contributions to government on February 27, 1962. Shown from left to right are Dr. Allene R. Jeanes, Research Chemist at the Department of Agriculture; Evelyn Harrison, deputy director of the Bureau of Programs and Standard at the Civil Service Commission; Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, Chief of Astronomy and Solar Physics at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); President Kennedy; Margaret H. Brass, Attorney at the Department of Justice; Katherine W. Bracken, Director of the Office of Central American and Panamanian Affairs at the Department of State; Dr. Thelma B. Dunn, cancer researcher at the National Cancer Institute; Katie Louchheim, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs (accompanying the recipients). Photo taken in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C.

The Federal Woman's Award was established by Barbara Bates Gunderson in 1960, while she was serving on the Civil Service Commission. Her goal was to publicize the ways women were excelling in federal employment, and to encourage young women to consider careers with federal laboratories and agencies.[2] Gunderson was also the first chair of the award's board.[3] Katie Louchheim, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, and later Patricia Hitt, Assistant Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, issued press releases about the awards and appeared at the presentation events.[4][5][6]

Nominations were submitted annually by federal departments and agencies to the board of trustees for the Federal Woman's Award. The nominations were judged by a panel of "persons prominent in public life", including magazine editors, broadcasters, journalists, business executives, and college presidents. Among the judges were Milton S. Eisenhower, Carl Rowan, Doris Fleeson, Arthur Sherwood Flemming, Sol Linowitz, David Brinkley, Betty Furness, and Katharine E. McBride.[5][7][8]

About six recipients were selected each year, for their "outstanding achievement and ability in an executive, professional, scientific, or technical position in the federal service."[9] Award winners were invited to a ceremony in the Oval Office. The president posed for official photographs with the group, and made remarks for the occasion.[10][11]

The awards were discontinued after the 1976 presentations, though there were nominations for 1977.[12] "Although the prize had served its purpose at no cost to the government, its continuation in the era of equal opportunity as a separate compensatory award for women only, which had seemed so harmless and even chivalric before, began to raise concerns and embarrassment," noted historian of science Margaret Rossiter.[13] In 1978, Rosalyn Yalow, one of the award's first recipients, recalled that "I viewed this award as second-class", adding "I was therefore delighted to learn last year that the Federal Woman's Award was to be discontinued — I hope permanently."[14]

Awardees by year

1961

Source:[4]

1962

Source:[10]

  • Katherine W. Bracken (Director of the Office of Central American and Panamanian Affairs, Department of State)
  • Margaret H. Brass (attorney, Department of Justice)[15]
  • Thelma Brumfield Dunn
  • Evelyn Harrison (Civil Service Commission)
  • Allene Jeanes
  • Nancy Roman

1963

Source:[16]

President Lyndon B. Johnson poses in the Oval Office with six white women, all winners of the 1964 Federal Woman's Award; from left to right: Elizabeth Messer, Evelyn M. Anderson, Gertrude Blanch, President Johnson, Patricia van Delden, Margaret Schwartz, and Selene Gifford
President Lyndon B. Johnson poses in the Oval Office with six winners of the 1964 Federal Woman's Award; from left to right: Elizabeth Messer, Evelyn M. Anderson, Gertrude Blanch, President Johnson, Patricia van Delden, Margaret Schwartz, and Selene Gifford

1964

Source:[17]

1965

Sources:[11][19]

1966

Source:[20]

  • Fannie N. Boyls (1906-2002; National Labor Relations Board)
  • Stella E. Davis (Desk officer, East and South Africa, USIA)
  • Jocelyn Gill
  • Ida Craven Merriam
  • Irene Parsons (Personnel, Veterans Administration)[21][22]
  • Ruth G. Van Cleve (director, Office of the Territories, Department of Interior)

Also nominated: Julia Brown Wright (US Naval Propellant Plant)[23]

1967

1968

Sources:[26][27]

Also nominated: Eileen R. Donovan, Charlotte M. Hubbard, and Susan T. Tait[28]

1969

Source:[6]

1970

Source:[30]

Also nominated: Marilyn Levy

1971

Source:[32]

Also nominated: Frances L. Whedon, Miriam H. Thomas, Joyce L. House, Joyce I. Allen, Vilma B. Harper, Cleo S. Cason[33]

Federal Woman's Award winners in 1972: Mary H. Ferguson, Patricia Ann McCreedy, Ruth M. Davis, Phyllis Dixon Clemmons, Lois Albro Chatham, and Ruth M. Leverton

1972

1973

Source:[35]

1974

1975


Also nominated: Theresa V. Brassard[38]

1976

Source:[39]

  • I. Blanche Bourne (Public Health, Government of the District of Columbia)[40]
  • Carin Ann Clauss[41]
  • Dorothy I. Fennell (Department of Agriculture)
  • Marion J. Finkel (FDA)
  • Mary Patricia Murray (VA, kinesiologist)
  • Joyce J. Walker (OMB)[42]

1977

Nominated: Lola McFerson[12]

References

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