The wife of president John Adams, Abigail Adams was outspoken and influential at a time when women were supposed to keep their opinions to themselves. Historian Lynne Withey, author of a classic biography of Abigail Adams, tells why she is one of America's most memorable first ladies.

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Until recently, Roya Rahmani served as Afghanistan’s ambassador to the United States, the first woman ever to hold that position. Now, with the Taliban in control of her home country, Rahmani lives in the U.S.—but even from 7,000 miles away she remains a fierce voice for the rights of Afghanistan’s women. 

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During the Vietnam War, thousands of women served in the US military; many were medical personnel who saved countless lives and endured the worst of conditions. But until Army combat nurse Diane Carlson Evans launched her campaign, there was no monument that recognized their contributions. Evans spent 10 years getting a tribute to these women on the National Mall, and has been a voice for women vets ever since.

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One of the top women in banking,  Bank of America’s Sharon Miller knows that women-owned small businesses are vital to a resurgent, post-pandemic economy.

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In 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman to graduate from medical school in the U.S. But she was more than a first: She started clinics and infirmaries and a medical college for women. We revisit this episode with Dr. Debra Michals, Director of the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at Merrimack College, who tells how Blackwell has inspired generations of women in medicine.

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Since the 1960s, the history of fast-food giant McDonald’s has been interwoven with the lives of Black Americans—sometimes in surprising ways. In her Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Franchise, Dr. Chatelain, a professor of history and African American studies at Georgetown University, reveals the complex interrelationship of the fast food chain and the crusade for civil rights.

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Born a slave, Harriet Tubman escaped multiple times, went on to shepherd hundreds of other enslaved people to freedom, and gained renown as an abolitionist, military leader, Union spy and suffragist. Historian and archaeologist Dr. Cheryl LaRoche reveals what made Tubman one of the most remarkable women in U.S. history.

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To kick off a new season of Seneca's 100 Women to Hear, we interview the greatest female chess player of all time, Judit Polgar. Her achievements go beyond gender lines; she's beaten many of the top male players, including Gary Kasparov and Boris Spassky. A Grandmaster since age 15, Polgar stood up to naysayers who didn't think a girl could reach the heights of chess. Now she's encouraging girls and boys to get in the game.

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In the 1920s, Bessie Coleman, one of the first Black women to earn a pilot’s license, transfixed audiences with her daredevil flying. We learn about Coleman from author and pilot Carole Hopson, a pioneer in her own right, who is among the few African American women to fly big commercial jets. 

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Besides being the first Black woman to head the prestigious college, Dr. Johnson is also a renowned cardiologist and researcher whose groundbreaking studies show how disease affects women and men differently. We revisit this episode from late 2020 in which she shares her insights into women's leadership, how to improve health care, and her optimism for the future.

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