Celebrating a Century of Women's "Firsts"

Just over a century ago, suffragettes gathered in the Women’s Building, now UW’s Cunningham Hall, to work toward gaining voting rights for women in Washington State. They succeeded in November 1910, although it would be another decade before a national amendment was ratified. 

To commemorate this momentous event in Washington State history, the UW Women’s Center—appropriately housed in the suffragettes’ former meeting space—is hosting a gala evening on November 6, titled “Women Unbound: Celebrate the Legacy.” The event will honor 100 women who were the first to break barriers in business and politics, the arts and sciences, education, and family and community life.

“Celebrating 100 years of women’s accomplishments in Washington State just made sense,” says Sutapa Basu, director of the Women’s Center and assistant affiliate professor of women studies. “Washington State has the highest percentage of elected women in government, including our governor, both senators, and the chief justice of the state Supreme Court.”

Although this will be the Women’s Center’s largest event, with KOMO-TV anchor Kathi Goertzen emceeing and 600 guests in attendance, it will not be the Center’s first gala. Each year the Center hosts an International Women’s Leader Dinner to raise awareness and support for its programs, with a prominent international woman honored. Recent guests have hailed from Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Philippines, Zambia, and Peru. But this year, the Center chose to stick closer to home.

“We thought that, for the centennial, we should instead celebrate local women and the uniqueness of the State of Washington,” says Basu, speaking for the Center’s staff and volunteer advisory board. “It was a collective idea.”

With so many women breaking barriers over the past century, selecting honorees has been a challenge. Some on the list are long gone, like Carrie Shumway, who was the first woman to be elected to office in Washington State when she joined the Kirkland City Council in 1911. Other honorees have accomplished more recent “firsts,” like Ana Mari Cauce, the first female (and current) dean of the UW College of Arts and Sciences. The owners of the Seattle Storm basketball team—the first team owned entirely by women—and Nobel Prize winning scientist Linda Buck (BA, Psychology, ’75) are also among the 100 honored women.

Honorees attending the event will not speak individually. “That would take so long that no one would ever come to our dinners again,” jokes Basu. They will, however, be profiled in a booklet and slide show at the event. Even those slated to speak have been encouraged to keep their comments brief, to make time for music and dancing. “We want it to be a celebration,” says Basu. “We want it to be fun.”

To encourage a lighthearted mood, the Women’s Center is encouraging guests to dress in historical garb. Think wide-brimmed hats and elegant 1900s dresses. And Seattle Goodwill is supplying historical costumes and models to circulate throughout the evening. 

“We’re hoping that each model can be a historical character, like Susan B. Anthony,” says Claire Vander Woude, administrator for the Women’s Center. “As they circulate around the room, they can share information about their character.”