Sometimes we lose sight of it in day-to-day League activities, but many Junior Leagues and individual League members have made important contributions, both large and small, to American history over the last 110 years.

Recognizing that, AJLI will tweet highlights of some of those achievements, one a day, during Women’s History Month 2011.

As you can see, the list is long and impressive.  Please feel free to retweet any of these, particularly those that involved your own League!

  • Before becoming the first woman to join the US Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor served as President of the @JuniorLeaguePHX
  • Eleanor Roosevelt began her path to humanitarian work as a @JuniorLeague volunteer serving immigrants in New York’s Lower East Side
  • 1st Commanding Officer of Women’s Army Corps during WWII, Oveta Culp Hobby, was also a @JLHoustonInc member
  • @JLBrooklyn petitions Board of Education to provide free meals in schools, setting a model for School Lunch Program
  • Actress Margaret Hamilton, The Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West, got her acting start as a @JLCleveland volunteer entertaining kids
  • Before winning a Pulitzer Prize, Eudora Welty’s works appeared in her @JuniorLeague’s magazine
  • What else do Former First Ladies & literacy advocates, Barbara & Laura Bush have in common? @JuniorLeague membership
  • Among Congresswoman & @Junior League member, Ruth Baker Pratt’s accomplishments: co-sponsoring act creating Books for the Blind program
  • Did you know the @JuniorLeagueSTL was founded to support women’s suffrage?
  • Add @JLPAMP volunteer to child actress, UN delegate & US Ambassador, Shirley Temple Black’s accomplishments
  • Before becoming Plano, TX’s longest serving female mayor, Pat Evans was a @JLPlano volunteer
  • First @JuniorLeague President, Dorothy Whitney Straight, is credited as one of the founders of the New School in New York City
  • First woman mayor of Orlando, Glenda Hood, began her road to public service as a @JLGOrlando volunteer & president
  • Among members honored by @JLLosAngeles for a lifetime of community service – Former First Lady, Nancy Reagan
  • North Carolina Senator, Kay Hagan, credits her @JuniorLeague experience for preparing her for politics
  • @JuniorLeagueMKE’s Catherine Cleary was the first woman to serve as director of General Motors & AT&T
  • The bill establishing a National Women’s History Museum was drafted by Congresswoman & New York @Junior League member, @CarolynBMaloney
  • Equal Rights Amendment supporter & popular former First Lady, Betty Ford, was also a @JuniorLeague of Grand Rapids volunteer
  • Ohio’s first Congresswoman, Frances P. Bolton, was also a @JLCleveland volunteer
  • @JuniorLeague volunteer, Margaret Chase Smith, was the 1st woman to serve in both the House & Senate
  • Credit @JuniorLeague of Toledo’s 1965 Fate of a River documentary with leading to passage of local clean water laws in #Ohio
  • First female mayor of Phoenix, Margaret Hance, picked up some experience governing as a @JuniorLeaguePHX president
  • Bet you didn’t know Oscar-winning actress, Katharine Hepburn, was a @JuniorLeague member
  • @JLAustinOrg member, Carole Keeton Strayhorn, was the first woman mayor of #Austin
  • New York @JuniorLeague member, Sarah Palfrey Cook Danzig, is known for her two-time Wimbledon wins
  • @JuniorLeague was among the many prominent women’s groups that lobbied for passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994
  • Civic leader, Doris Matsui has served her community as a @JrLeagueSac volunteer & Congresswoman
  • Mary Pillsbury Lord went from family welfare work to @JuniorLeague of NY President to Chair of Women’s Army Corp to UN Delegate
  • Recognized by New York City with a playground named in her honor, Mary Harriman Rumsey, is best known as the founder of the @JuniorLeague
  • Louisiana State Senator and former first woman mayor of Lake Charles, Willie Mount, is a @JuniorLeague member
  • Long before she mastered the art of French cooking, Julia Child worked with kids as an @MyJLP volunteer