National Womens History Museum

I was shocked at the amount of women's history I never knew. I am a history geek and was looking for this information from High School through College and beyond but it was missing. It has been left out of our textbooks, our museums, our parks...everything, but this group is fighting to bring it into the mainstream. The stories of women as individuals who did great things and amazing group efforts by women that helped make America great are fascinating. Some of the stories are shocking...some are joyful ...all are interesting!! They are also influencing women's history to be discovered and spotlighted in other countries as well ! They are very careful with their donor's money.

The National Women History Museum performs a number of needed functions, superbly as it pursues a building site on or near the Mall in Washington DC. Included are its wonderful website nwhm.org, major events, for example its De Pizan Galas honoring contemporary women whose achievements garner awards in various categories and "linked" to women in history in similar fields. It has great online exhibits on the website, an exciting and informative newsletter about its activities and about the role of women in the development of our country and often the world. Also a serious and academic lecture program in Washington,. It's goal is to fill in the missing part of U.S. history. Knowledge of that history will influence the future as more people of both genders know their history in full and learn about prior and current women path finders. Girls will realize realize their goals can be reached. There will be more unleashed brain power to help our country in this new and exciting times, less teen pregnancy and domestic violence. It is not asking for too much when one realizes that now children and adults are asking why they didn't learn about that earlier? The NWHM is doing all this with a small staff and some very dedicated volunteers. It's sights are set and it will achieve its goal of a world class national women's history museum on the Mall in Washington DC, the only country in the world to recognized the achievements and contributions of its women now and in history.

MISSING IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: A national museum for women's history anchoring their
collective records, stories, and facts.

The omission of women's contributions from the bulk of recorded history needs to be abated.
That is what the National Women's History Museum is set to accomplish.

I am here from Texas to assist in the effort and success.

The National Women's History Museum is a superb resource on information about women known and unknown who have had a major impact on the history of our country. When I was growing up, I had no role models in history or those in contemporary life. If the Museum had existed then, I would have been further inspired and much more prepared in my chosen field of political science. Senator Margaret Chase Smith was the only woman in the Senate at the time and precious few in the Congress.

The National Women's History Museum has opened not only my eyes to the hundreds of thousands of women who have made our Nation great through their contributions, large and small, and their accomplishments in every field of endeavor but also those of girls,boys, tenagers, college students and the general public...women and men alike.

The Museum's educational program with online exhibits, biographies and a whole host of curriculum materials for teachers is making a signficiant difference in the role of women in our country. No longer do young girls have to search for women whose experience inspires them. Its materials are reaching students at every level, including online, in libraries and volunteer organizations.

From all the many charities, I have chosen the National Women's History Museum to support with my hard earned dollars. I only hope that the Museum finds its rightful place on or near the National Mall in Washington, DC. Fifty-one percent of our citizenry deserves to be so honored for their countless contributions thoroughout our Nation's History.
BL Schergens

I joined the Board of Directors in 2011 and have been immensely impressed with the staff and Board commitment to the cause of women's history. This is a much-needed step in public education of women's history. The excellent online exhibits are only the beginning. A permanent location on the Mall is an absolute necessity. I can't wait to walk through the front doors when it is built. It can't happen without public support, however, and our recent polls confirm a majority of Americans support creation of the Museum on the Mall in Washington D.C. I want my children to be able to see firsthand how important history education is to me, my peers, and our future.

There is a tremendous need for a Women's History Museum so we can share the full history of our nation. We receive so many calls and requests for data from across the country and internationally. They want more online exhibits, biographies and lesson plans that have been well researched and verified.
We need a groundswell of support to get the legislation passed this year. We are not asking for money from Congress - just the authority to build our museum.
With a building in DC we will be able to share so much more and can start traveling exhibits too. It will be a great inspiration for our children. It will also encourage other countries to do the same. We need to share the full history and not just the wars and chronological timelines.
This organization has a very hard-working staff and volunteers and is on the right path. However, we really need more volunteers to garner support in their communities to get the commission legislation passed this year!

I have been working with the Museum for many years and am continually impressed with their Online Exhibits and educational resources. The Museum is committed to educating the public on the important contributions women have made to our nation. I can't wait to visit the Museum once it finally gets a physical location at the National Mall in Washington, DC, but until that time, I highly recommend checking out all of the amazing Online Exhibits on NWHM's website!

I have been part of the NWHM team for about a year and a half now and find it a fast-paced, interesting, hard-working group of people. It helps that the staff and 50,000+ members share a passion for creating a National Women's History Museum on or near the national Mall asap. In fulfilling the Museum's mission, there are hundreds of on-line biographies and exhibits worth visiting. (www.nwhm.org)
For March-Women's History Month-we had numerous events, activities and an exhibit at the National Press Club on the role of the press for the 1913 Suffrage march.
Billie Jean King says it best: "how are you going to shape the future if you don't know the past?"
-K. Clinton

I have been involved with the National Women's History Museum for a number of years and find it a wonderful way to cherish and honor the memory of the amazing women who came before me. Right now the Museum is online and virtual - but their goal is to have a building on the Smithsonian Mall. Imagine how special it would be to bring a young girl to a one-of-a-kind, National Women's History Museum, where the impact of women on America's culture and society is not just a side exhibit, but fully showcased for all to see and learn from! What an inspiration it would be for generations to come.

I have been involved with this Museum for many years and will continue to help them any way I can to accomplish their goal! Why? Because not only do I believe in their mission...I learn something new fromtheir dedicated staff and visiting their website and especially their blog and Facebook pages almost everyday. It only proves to me that there is so much more women's history to learn and maddens me that I was never taught it along with men's history in school. Worse yet, it is frustrating the media continues to under report women's achievements even in the 21st Century!

Over and over again it proves to me and to others exactly why this Museum is needed. I wish I'd known about many of the women who helped found our nation when I was a child. I wish I'd heard about Sybil Ludington and how she rode longer and further than Paul Revere that famous night to warn of the coming danger. George Washington recognized her heroism but I never learned about her until NWHM shared her story. I grew up believing Eli Whitney invented the Cotton Gin. And if you ask most men and women, they will tell you the same thing. Imagine my surprise upon learning the missing part of that history all because a woman couldn't hold a patent in those days. We are teaching our children incomplete history!

There are so many amazing women -- so many trailblazers -- who helped America become what it is today. It is a disgrace that for so many years Congress has not granted this Museum the site they have requested -- especially since NWHM has said all along it will pay for it through private funding -- NOT at taxpayer expense!

I listened in on a focus group of teachers and another one with students and over and over again they referred to the lack of women's history in their textbooks and the students were frustrated so little was even taught in their classrooms. The boys on the panels as well said they never realized girls and women had done so much until they visited NWHM's website doing research for a school assignment. One girl even mentioned the only women's history that was taught in her class last year was from an oral book report she gave on Victoria Woodhull.

It is an injustice that we are not teaching and reporting all of America's rich history -- both from the past and today. We have much to be proud of. Thank goodness for NWHM and their recognizing that this void needs to be filled and for fighting this uphill battle to get a Museum in our nation's capital.

One day this Museum will become a reality -- and I look forward to learning all that I didn't know -- that I didn't know!

I have worked with the National Women's History Museum for over 13 years. Its growth and reach during those years is remarkable! Today it operates as a cyber-museum allowing anyone with internet access to enjoy the educational exhibits, see profiles of remarkable women and interesting events. Teachers use the NWHM site to download lesson plans for each exhibit. When I tell stories of women who made a big impact on our nation the question from the listener is always "Why didn't I know about this? Where can I learn?" This is what the NWHM is all about. One day visitors will be able to learn about women's contributions to our culture and society by visiting the National Women's History Museum in Washington, DC. This will be the first museum dedicated to the history of women in any nation's capital in the world.

You mean there isn't one? The reality is that there is no museum about women in Washington, DC or any other world capitol. I would give the NWHM 5 stars, if it were not for the fact that there is no building on The Mall to tell the many stories of many women who have contributed to our nation's history. Men in Congress have had the power to stop or delay a bill that would create land without government money to build a Museum. Check out the museum's website to see informative summaries of women in history. It is fun to play with and interesting to read. All privately funded and with no taxpayer taxed. I have enjoyed my relationship with this museum so much because of its committed staff and volunteers and watching the growing support for this soon to be national treasure. Everyone will have a lot to learn about the role of women in science, technology, the arts, the military, entrepreneurship. . .

It is no small task to build a national museum in Washington -- two male senators put a hold on this museum's legislation last session of Congress -- and that meant starting over again. But while the museum works to get a building site, it also gets women's history out into the public through its website (www.nwhm.org) that has a ton of information about the many ways women have helped to build our nation. There are online exhibits on a range of topics -- a recent one is on women entrepreneurs. I've heard teachers say how much they appreciate the website and its lesson plans because textbooks have very little about women in history.

As long as Congress is only 20% women, it may be a tough climb for this museum to get federal land but the more people know about this effort to honor our nation's women at the National Mall, the more likely it will happen.

I have donated to this org for years. In the last 15 years they post the same updates "our bill just passed Congress or the Senate" blah blah blah but nothing happens. Over 40% goes to admin and fundraising. They hired a content person one month ago but they only exist on-line. I'm have to withdrawal my support and others like me who have given for years should do the same or take a closer look.

After working with hundreds of charities over the last 35 years, this is one that I feel will one day touch and change the lives of millions of children, women and men -- young and old. NWHM works hard to share the missing part of history -- women's history and the countless accomplishments women have made to our great nation. Their website is phenomenal -- and educational institutions around the world are now using information from their various online exhibits in their classrooms -- and they even provide free lesson plans for teachers. I can't wait for this Museum to be built because their vision of sharing women's history is very innovative and interactive. This is one educational organization I hope everyone will support. It is long overdue. I learn someone new every day from just visiting their site! Don't take my word for it -- visit www.nwhm.org yourself and you will see why I financially support this great non-profit!