Notable Women

Mary Anderson- Female Inventor What a lot of people don't know is that windshield wipers were invented by a woman. Inventor Mary Anderson received a patent for her car-window cleaning device in 1903. Anderson invented a swinging arm device with a rubber blade that was operated by the driver from within the vehicle using a lever.

Stephanie Kwolek- Female Inventor and Scientist In 1971, Kwolek's discovered what we know as Kevlar®, a synthetic material that is five times as strong as steel. Kevlar® is resistant to wear, corrosion and flames, and it is the main ingredient in the production of bulletproof vests, which have become invaluable to legions of soldiers and law enforcement officers. Furthermore, Kevlar® is used in dozens of other products, including skis, safety helmets, hiking and camping gear, and suspension bridge cables.

Patricia Bath- African American Female Inventor A pioneer in the field of ophthalmology, she created a laser-based device to perform cataracts surgery.

Astrophysicist Sally K Astrophysicist Sally K. Ride becomes America's first woman astronaut in 1983

Apache 8- All-Female Apache Firefighting Crew For 30 years, the all-female Apache 8 unit has protected their reservation from fire and also responded to wildfires around the nation. The women became known as some of the country’s most elite firefighters.

Ursula M. Burns- African American Female Named the new chief executive of the Xerox Corporation on May 21, 2009 In December 2002, Ms. Burns was named president of Xerox Business Group Operations. Under her umbrella were the businesses that provide more than 80 percent of Xerox's sales, as well as the engineering, manufacturing and other logistical functions that keep Xerox humming.