Women’s Storied Lives

Women Outside of Marriage

For most of history society thought a woman’s only role would be to run a household, be a wife, and produce children. While these things are important to some, that is not the only role a woman can take in society. In this section of the exhibition, women who succeeded outside the ideal of marriage and motherhood are recognized. Women pursuing their interests in higher education started with the foundation of women's colleges. This foundation has since grown to co-ed universities with woman presidents and leaders. Once women were able to pursue higher education, they had the opportunities to pursue career paths of their own choosing. Women such as Sylvia Plath and Gertrude Mossell had successful writing careers, and Florence Nightingale is recognized as the founder of modern nursing. Not only was a career an option for women, but other interests outside of professional and familiar life started to emerge. Activism became a common pursuit among women for a variety of causes, including the Civil Rights movement and the 1970s Women's Liberation movement. 
 

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