One of the most prevalent changes in my lifetime is the emergence of women leaders in almost every facet of American life. While the transformation of our society is an ongoing process and will probably take several more generations to complete, the author has watched our society gradually evolve from male domination toward one of equality for both genders and eventually maybe into a female-dominated one. This chapter identifies the women leaders who have influenced the author's life at home, in the classroom, in politics, and on TV.
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Figure 1.
Top: Shirley Chisholm, Mary Tyler Moore, Ellen DeGeneres, and Lucille Ball Middle: Golda Meir, Katherine Johnson, Grace Hopper, and Madeleine Albright Bottom: Oprah Winfrey, Gwen Ifill, and Diane Sawyer
I have watched our society slowly move from male domination toward one of equality for both genders and eventually may evolve into a female-dominated one. The transformation of our society is an ongoing process and will probably take several more generations to complete (McPherson, 2000). The shift towards equality is good both for society (Ellison and Mullin, 2014) and for the business's bottom line (Dizikes, 2017).
I am documenting the events and women leaders I have witnessed over the last 50 years. The research I found highlighted the need for women mentors for women and minorities (Rheineck & Roland, 2008; Tharenou, 2005; Malveaux, 1998) but didn’t include how important they were to men. I chose the first-person perspective to highlight how important women leaders and mentors were to me and our society. There is no way I could have been influenced by all the women who have participated in the transformation of our society. I used both Wikipedia.com and Biography.com to double check my memory as to the years these women leaders emerged.
My interaction with women leaders started with my mother and expanded to include my elementary school teachers. In the 1960s, TV quickly became a dominant form of entertainment, news, and a source for observing women’s leadership. World events drew my attention to several women in leadership roles, and the impact they had on the evolution of women in politics in the US. Add to that, my twenty-five-year career as a professor has given me the opportunity to work with several outstanding women leaders.