Nellie Tayloe Ross

Nellie Tayloe Ross with her peers. From left to right Governor Hamlet of Iowa, Governor Brewster of Maine, Governor N.T.R of Wyoming, and Governor Martin of Florida. Nellie Tayloe Ross Papers, #948, Box 18, Folder 2. UW American Heritage Center.

Claim to Fame:  The first woman governor of Wyoming—but also, the first woman to be elected governor in the United States!

Special Skills: Ladylike decorum, pioneering spirit, ability to compromise, communication skills

Collection Connection: The Nellie Tayloe Ross papers can be found at the AHC, and many items from the collection have been digitized as well.

Grace Raymond Hebard

Grace Raymond Hebard fishing at one of the lakes in the Snowy Range mountains. Photofile: “Hebard, Grace Raymond.” Neg. #18168. University of Wyoming American Heritage Center.

Claim to Fame:  A University of Wyoming Trustee, University Librarian, Historian of the American West, and women’s suffrage crusader, Grace Raymond Hebard is responsible for creating a large body of research materials that affect historical research, even today.  Her role in the suffrage movement was such that she was much in demand as a motivational speaker for other suffrage groups.  As University Librarian for the University of Wyoming, she established a strong tradition of information literacy and scholarly inquiry.

Special Skills: Expert researcher, leadership, keen understanding of historical significance

Collection Connection: The AHC holds the Grace Raymond Hebard papers!