Jane McCallum, President of the Austin Suffrage Association in 1915
Jane McCallum was an early suffragist leader, president of the Austin Suffrage Association in 1915, head of publicity for TESA (Texas Equal Suffrage Association), and Texas Secretary of State (1927-1933). She was also a founder of Austin area League of Women Voters, and she led Petticoat Lobbyists (Joint Legislative Council) in campaigning for Dan Moody as Texas governor.
Grace Delano Clark, Most Worthy Citizen in 1928
Mrs. Grace Delano Clark was awarded Most Worthy Citizen by the Austin American for her work in establishing Austin’s first library.
Mrs. Flora Arrowood,President of the Austin Branch in 1936-37
Mrs. Flora Arrowood, President of the Austin Branch in 1936-37, headed civic drives in Austin in the 1940s, campaigning for better schools and the creation of what is now Mainspring Schools, for passage of bonds to get Brackenridge Hospital accredited, and for adding Bookmobile services for the Austin Public Library.
Click here to read 5 Jun, 1957, Statesman article.
Dr. Jenny Lind Porter-Scott,Poet Laureate of Texas in 1964-65
Dr. Jenny Lind Porter-Scott was Poet Laureate of Texas in 1964-65, and she was elected to the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in 1985.
She also received an award from the Texas Institute of Letters for her translation of Verses on Death by Helinand of Froidmont.
Carole Keeton, in public service for four decades ( 1972 – 2007)
Often called a trailblazer, Carole Keeton’s public service in the elected arena in Austin and in Texas spans four decades from 1972 to 2007 and is full of “firsts”—First woman president of the Austin School Board, first woman president of Austin Community College Board of Trustees; first woman elected Mayor of Austin, (and still the only woman to serve as mayor of Austin) and the only mayor of Austin elected by the citizens for three terms. While serving as Mayor she was selected “One of the 50 Faces for America’s Future” by Time Magazine and was elected President of The Texas Municipal League representing all the cities in Texas.
Elected to statewide office four times, Carole is the first woman in history elected and reelected Texas Railroad Commissioner and the first woman in history elected and reelected Texas Comptroller. As Comptroller, her report on our Texas foster care system, Forgotten Children, won a National Public Integrity Award. Carole began her career as a public school teacher. Her lifelong record of achievement is rooted in her passion for education and public service. She was inducted into the Austin Women’s Hall of Fame in 2013. She currently serves as Executive Director, pro-bono, Austinites For Action and as a lifetime member of The Lola Wright Foundation and on the Advisory Board for Girl Scouts of Central Texas.
Mrs. Zettie W. Cole Salathe – Albert Schweitzer Scholarship Fund at UT in 1974.
Mrs. Zettie W. Cole Salathe established the Albert Schweitzer Scholarship Fund at UT in 1974. The fund, which still exists, was renamed the Zettie W. Cole Salathe Fund in Child Development in 1981.
Dr. Connie Yerwood Conner – Outstanding Woman of the Austin Branch
Connie Yerwood Conner, M.D., was honored as an Outstanding Woman of the Austin Branch for her contributions in the field of medicine. She became the first African-American Director of Maternal and Child Health in Texas and finally the Chief of the Bureau of Personal Health Services, which provided oversight of the divisions of Maternal and Child Care, Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Disease. She was featured in the Austin American-Statesman’s special edition for the Sesquicentennial in 1986.
Onie B. Conley – Conley-Guerrero Senior Activity Center, 1992
Life member Onie B. Conley was featured in the Austin American-Statesman discussing Reflections of Racism during 1992. The Conley-Guerrero Senior Activity Center was named for Onie B. Conley in 1992. Read newspaper article…
Mary Yerwood Thompson – National Women’s Hall of Fame 1995
Life member Mary Yerwood Thompson was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1995.
Brenda Willis Scholin – REALTOR® Community Service Award, 1995
The Austin Board of REALTORS® honored Brenda Willis Scholin with the REALTOR® Community Service Award for 1995.
Dr. Inez C. Jeffery – Austin’s Most Worthy Citizen of 1995
During 1996, long time member Dr. Inez C. Jeffery was honored by the League of Women Voters of the Austin Area in their first Annual Foreign Policy Lecture. She also received the Liz Carpenter Lifetime Achievement Award of Women in Communication International, was honored by the Austin Board of REALTORS® as Austin’s Most Worthy Citizen of 1995, and was honored by the Austin Branch with a named Educational Foundation Research and Projects Endowment with a goal of $35,000. In 1997-98 educational fundraising efforts included an antiques forum, a card party, and direct donations to the Dr. Inez C. Jeffery Educational Foundation Research and Projects Endowment. In 2000 the branch held a special tribute to Dr. Inez Jeffery, with proceeds going to her Educational Foundation Endowment. Other EF fundraising included a “Fantasy Concert that Never Was”, and a book signing by Dr. Inez C. Jeffery as author and Dr. Zoya Zarubina as subject of Inside Russia, The Life and Times of Zoya Zarubina. Within six years of fundraising the branch completed the Dr. Inez C. Jeffery Educational Foundation Research and Projects Endowment of $35,000 in 2002.
Mary Thomas Luins Small- exemplary teacher
Dr. Mary Small was named Huston-Tillotson College’s exemplary teacher of the year.
Catherine (Kay) Goodwin – LLI founder
Catherine (Kay) Goodwin was honored by Lifetime Learning Institute (LLI) as one of the founders.
Mary Ellen Scribner – Texas Intellectual Freedom Award, 1997
Mary Ellen Scribner received the Texas Intellectual Freedom Award in 1997 from the Texas Library Association.
Rachel Muir – Austin Under 40 Awards, 2000
Rachel Muir was honored by the Austin Under 40 Awards for Youth and Education in 2000. She received the AAUW Women of Distinction Award in 2005 for her work with Girlstart. She was one of four women who received this award in the nation that year.
Gail Simpler – Staff Excellence Award, 2002
In 2002 Gail Simpler received a Staff Excellence Award from the Aeronautical Engineering Department at the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Beulah Agnes Curry-Jones, co-founder of the NWOA
Mr. Jimmie Jones and Dr. Beulah Agnes Curry Jones
Dr. Beulah Agnes Curry-Jones was honored in 2003 by the Texas African American Historical Organization with their Dr. Lamar Kirven Lifetime Achievement Award for her volunteer work and community service/leadership in music and music education. In 2014, she received the President’s Award honoring chapter founders of the Austin Chapter of National Women of Achievement, Inc. Dr. Jones is co-founder and organizer of the NWOA, Inc., retired chair for Huston-Tillotson University Fine Arts Department, music educator, church musician, community volunteer, and education mentor.
Dr. Isabel Wheeler, International Achievement Award
Dr. Isabel Wheeler received the International Achievement Award from Delta Kappa Gamma Society International at their 2004 International Convention in MN.
Nora Wiley, Austin High School Hall of Honor
Novella Wiley was inducted as an outstanding faculty member into the Austin High School Hall of Honor in April 2005.
Betty Grubbs – Community Spirit award, 2006
Betty Grubbs received the Community Spirit award from the Austin Group for the Elderly in 2006 for her work as a community activist specializing in Social Security and Medicare issues.
Elizabeth Newell – Austin High School Hall of Honor, 2006
Elizabeth Newell was inducted as an outstanding faculty member into the Austin High School Hall of Honor in April 2006.
Miriam K. Tormollan – Outstanding member of AAUW-TX, 2006
Miriam K. Tormollan was recognized as the Outstanding member of AAUW-TX at the 2006 state convention in San Antonio. Following her death in 2012, a memorial fund was established, which the family designated as a scholarship for a UT student in a STEM field. This was awarded to a Girlstart intern on October 11, 2013.
Janie Maldonado – Educator of the Year, 2006
Janie Maldonado was selected as “Educator of the Year” by the Austin Coordinating Council of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International in 2006.
Ann Berasley – President of AAUW Texas, 2008-2009
Linda Conger presents presidential mascot “Spike”, the Fuzzy Rhinoceros to Ann Berasley
Ann Berasley was installed as the 2008-2009 president of AAUW Texas. She is a former president of the Austin Branch.
100 Women of Distinction, Texas Biennium Convention, 2008
The following Austin women were included in the recognition of 100 Women of Distinction at the Texas Centennial Biennium Convention in 2008: Dr. Margaret Berry, Dr. Betty Sue Flowers, Dr. Sherry Gillespie, Lottie Gradick, Peggy Holland, Dr. Inez Jeffery, Veronica Johnson, Rachel Muir, Dr. Jenny Lind Porter-Scott, Dr. Delia Quintanilla, Elspeth Rostow, Raemar Shown, Miriam Tormollan, and Pam Wolfe.
Nancy Myers – Outstanding Austin Woman, 2009
In 2009 Nancy Myers was recognized as an Outstanding Austin Woman by the Ten Thousand Villages.
Amy Wong Mok – Community Service Award, Association for Asian American Studies, 2010
Amy Wong Mok was appointed to a 12 person braintrust for KLRU-TV’s multi-year initiative, Navigating the Digital Divide, receiving an individual community service award from the Association for Asian American Studies for her work in Austin in 2010.
Elizabeth Newell – Conference on Teaching about the UN, 2011
Elizabeth Newell represented the Branch in collaborating with other Central Texas groups in planning a Conference on Teaching About the United Nations held at the LBJ Auditorium in Austin on April 2, 2011.
Gigi Edwards Bryant – Cover Page, Austin Woman, 2011
Gigi Edwards Bryant was featured with a cover photo and feature story in the August 2011 issue of Austin Woman, focusing on how she became a skilled and well respected child and community advocate. She has organized several non-profits and worked in state-level appointments from three Texas governors.
Maria Luisa Flores – Lifetime Achievement Award, YWCA, 2011
At the 2011 Greater Austin YWCA’s Women of the Year Awards Celebration, Maria Luisa “Lulu” Flores received a Lifetime Achievement Award for all her efforts to help the women of Texas through her involvement with Planned Parenthood of the Texas Capital Region, the Women’s Advocacy Project, and the Center for Battered Women (now SafePlace). She has also put her legal training and experience to good work for the National Women’s Political Caucus, the Austin Women’s Political Caucus, and the Hispanic Bar Association of Austin.
Linda Young – President of the National Women’s Political Caucus, 2011
Linda K. Young was elected President of the National Women’s Political Caucus in 2011. She was appointed to the White House Presidential Personnel Committee for President Obama’s second term and she also served on the White House Focus Group on Women and the Economy.
Gig Edwards Bryant – Community Leader, CASA, 2012
Gigi Edwards Bryant was honored as a community leader and fierce advocate for children in foster care at the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Travis County’s CASABLANCA event in February 2012.
Marsha Endahl-Kramer – Alpha Delta Pi Alumnae of the year, 2012
Marsha Endahl-Kramer was chosen as Alpha Delta Pi Alumnae of the Year for 2012
Mary Ellen Scribner, Linda Leff – Lifetime Learning Institute, 2012
Linda Leff
Mary Ellen Scribner
Mary Ellen Scribner taught a class on Africa and Linda Leff a class on Romantic Poets for the Lifetime Learning Institute of Austin (LLI) in the spring of 2012. Mary Ellen also taught LLI classes on The Silk Road and Antarctica.
Melinda Townsel – Living History Books exhibit, Austin Community College, 2013
Melinda Townsel (center)
Melinda Townsel, head librarian and professor at Austin Community College Northridge, received a certificate of appreciation in March 2013 at the Celebration of Women’s History month for her work in creating and organizing the library’s Living History Books exhibit, and Anita Knight and Judy Reinhart participated in the event.
Linda Young – STEM for Girls in Africa, 2013
L-r: Lilac Bauer,
Marsha Endahl-Kramer, Linda Young, Anita Knight, Elaine Diefenderfer, Carol Fritz.
Linda K. Young, who presided at National Women’s Political Caucus convention and contributed her ACC resources for Nancy Pelosi’s Austin event in Austin August 28, 2013, served on the White House Focus Group on Women and the Economy and during the UN General Assembly in September 2013 met with the first Ladies of African countries to promote their participation in the launch of STEM for Girls in Africa.
Dr. Mary Braunagel-Brown – INSPIRE Leadership
Mary Braunagel-Brown (r)
Dr. Mary Braunagel-Brown endowed The Mary Braunagel-Brown Excellence Fund for Young Women’s Leadership at the University of Texas at Austin in 2013. Under the direction of the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, this fund supports women undergraduates selected for INSPIRE Leadership, a three-year revolving program serving sophomores to seniors to help develop the skills they need to achieve the highest levels within their chosen academic fields.
Maria Luisa Flores – Austin Women’s Hall of Fame, 2013
The City of Austin honored Maria Luisa (Lulu) Flores, an attorney and partner at Hendler Law, as an inductee into the Austin Women’s Hall of Fame in 2013. The Austin Women’s Hall of Fame represents women who have made significant contributions to the community by breaking through barriers for women, working to better the lives of women and girls, or through other forms of public or community service.
Monica Guzman – Austin ISD Advisory Board for Hispanic Outreach, 2013
Monica Guzman, member of Austin ISD Advisory Board for Hispanic Outreach, was appointed a member of the AISD Community Bond Oversight Committee and participated in AISD’s UpClose Leadership classes in the fall of 2013.
AAUW Texas 2014-16 Officers from Austin
For AAUW Texas 2014-16, Inés Garcia was elected as Finance Officer and Judy Reinhart as Texas Central District Representative, and Janani Janakiraman was appointed Website Maintainer.
Cofounders of the Austin Chapter of National Women of Achievement (NWOA), 2014
Dr. Beulah Agnes Curry-Jones and Barbara Foreman were honored as cofounders of the Austin Chapter of National Women of Achievement (NWOA) at the Thirteenth Biennial African American Women’s Profiles of Prominence in the spring of 2014.
Monica Benoit-Beatty – Austin YWCA Lifetime Achievement Award, 2014
Monica Benoit-Beatty received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Austin YWCA in June 2014.
In picture: (L to R) Marsha Endahl Kramer, Shiphrah Evelyn Meditz, Monica Benoit-Beatty, and Anita Knight
Nick News – Title IX episode , 2014
Nickelodeon’s NICK NEWS producer and crew filmed an episode in Austin on November 24, 2014 on Title IX, featuring our AAUW Title IX champions (Priya Ramamoorthy, Kavya Ramamoorthy, Smrithi Mahadevan, and Maanasa Nathan). Soon Merz arranged for the use of a classroom in ACCelerator (the nation’s largest learning lab) at the ACC Highland Campus. Lilac Bauer, Anita Knight, Mary Ellen Scribner plus some ACC students and staff completed a very respectable audience for the filming.
Gigi Edwards Bryant – Austin Community College District Board of Trustees, 2014
Gigi Edwards Bryant with Senator Kirk Watson
Gigi Edwards Bryant was elected to the Austin Community College District Board of Trustees in December 2014.
Glenda Lassiter – personal memoir a winner
Glenda Lassiter‘s personal memoir “Griff” was a winner in the Austin Genealogical Society’s 2015 Writing Contest.
Ann Berasley – AAUW National Governance Committee Leader
Ann Berasley was elected as AAUW’s National Governance Committee Leader for 2015-17.
Lynn Cooksey Day Proclamation
In June 2015, the Austin City Council issued a proclamation designating June 21st as Lynn Cooksey Day, honoring her “for her incredible community involvement.” Council member Sherry Gallo cited Lynn’s involvement in Austin Community Television, International Hospitality Council of Austin, and Austin Woman’s Federated Club, her serving on the Boards of organizations including Planned Parenthood and United Nations Association of Austin, and her acting as Austin’s “first lady” during her husband Frank’s 1983-1985 term as Mayor of Austin. On June 22, the Council also awarded the Cookseys with Barton Springs Pool Lifetime Swim Passes.
Janani Janakiraman – IBM Community Grant
In 2015 and again in 2016, Dual member of Austin and Georgetown branches Janani Janakiraman, who works at IBM and volunteers as a core team member of IBM’s Women in Technology Community Service Organization, obtained for the Branch a $1000 community education grant for the Branch. These grants were used to purchase tablet computers for Latinitas and Mainspring Schools, to support Latinitas’ Code Chica conference, and to support technical education at Girlstart, Latinitas, and Mainspring Schools. In addition, Janani has taken on the webmaster role for both the Austin Branch and AAUW Texas websites.
Divya Ramamoorthy – Glamour Managazine Top 10 College Women, 2015
Student Affiliate member Divya Ramamoorthy, a biomedical engineering and Plan II Liberal Arts honors student at the University of Texas at Austin, was selected as one of Glamour’s Top 10 College Women in April 2015 for her work generating heart tissue. She has also been recognized on Business Insider list of Impressive Students at The University of Texas at Austin and gave a talk on spirit of collaborative research at Austin’s TEDxYouth.
Tamara Hudgins – South by Southwest Interactive Hall of Fame, 2015
Dr. Tamara Hudgins was inducted into the South by Southwest Interactive Hall of Fame in March 2015 at the festival’s Innovation Awards for her work in expanding Girlstart’s reach in STEM education. In April 2015, she was featured in an article in the Austin American-Statesman, with a follow-up podcast interview with Tolly Moseley.
Women’s Empowerment Conference, 2015
Soon Merz sponsored the use of the Austin Community College Eastview campus for The Women’s Empowerment Conference in March 2015. The Branch played an active role in the conference, with AAUW President Jeannie Best, Soon Merz, Anita Knight, Judy Reinhart, and Mary Ellen Scribner staffing a table there.
Priya Ramamoorthy – Public Affairs Award, Zonta
Priya Ramamoorthy, daughter of Janani Janakiraman, was named recipient of the Zonta International Club of Austin Young Women in Public Affairs Award in May 2015, winning a $1000 Regional scholarship as part of the award.
Dr. Beulah (Aggie) Curry-Jones – Woman of the Year award, 2015
Music educator Dr. Beulah (Aggie) Curry-Jones was honored at her beloved Ebenezer Baptist Church’s 2015 Woman of the Year award in May 2015.
Anita Knight finalist, Gorham Lifetime Achievement Award, 2015
Anita Knight (L)
Anita Knight (past branch president in Midland, MI, Wheaton-Glen Ellyn, IL, and Austin, as well as former MI and TX state board member) was a finalist for the 2015 Diana L. Gorham Lifetime Achievement Award given annually by the YWCA of Austin. She is active in several organizations including Friendship Force Club of Austin and her church, and she is an environmental education docent at Wild Basin Preserve and Colorado River Alliance. She was chosen to be a 2017 Central Health Community Health Champion.
AAUW-TX 2016-18 Officers
Pam Wolfe
Pam Wolfe was elected as President of AAUW Texas for 2016-18, Marina Rivers was elected as Texas Central District Representative, Ann Berasley appointed Parlimentarian/Bylaws and Janani Janakiraman Website Maintainer.
Elizabeth Newell – State Achievement Award, Delta Kappa Gamma, 2016
Elizabeth Newell was awarded the Texas Delta Kappa Gamma Society’s State Achievement Award at the AAUW State conference in San Antonio in June 2016.
Judy Reinhart – Leadership Management Seminar, Delta Kappa Gamma, 2016
Judy Reinhart was one of thirty Delta Kappa Gamma members worldwide chosen to participate in the Leadership Management Seminar held at the UT Austin McCombs School of Business in 2016.
Update of the Branch and Member herstory pages.
AAUW Austin historian, Kay Keys brought the Branch & Member herstories, and Girls in STEM web pages up to date in 2016, going through newsletters, getting Anita Knight to review versions, getting a great deal of help from Janani Janakiraman in locating and adding images to illustrate entries, and seeking feedback from Branch members.
Priya and Kavya Ramamoorthy – AAUW @ University of Texas at Austin
In 2016, Janani Janakiraman’s daughters Kavya and Priya Ramamoorthy, members of the Branch and enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin are putting their energy and talents into growing the AAUW Student Organization there, working with National AAUW and C/U Partner and UT Dean, Dr. Soncia Reagins-Lilly to get the organization fully registered and viable. Among the goals of these twin students are increasing the e-affiliate membership and interest in AAUW, promoting student awareness of AAUW resources, and ultimately hosting a conference like StartSmart for women student leaders in Central Texas colleges.