Category: Women/Gender

BURKE, LILLIAN W.  (2 August 1915 – 27 March 2012) was a pioneer, the first black woman judge in Ohio and the first to sit on the Ohio Industrial Commission, the highest state position ever held by a black woman at that time. She was born in Thomaston, Georgia; her parents were George P. and Ozella (Davidson) Walker.  Her family moved to Pittsburgh where she was educated in its public schools. 

BURTON, BEATRICE (13 May 1894 - 13 April 1983) was an author, film writer, and actress during the early 20th century. Burton wrote extensively about romance and coming-of-age themes in her novels. Burton is best  known for her creative writing style and use of pop-culture references and 1920s slang in her literature. 

BUTLER, ANNETTE GARNER ( 23 June 23 1944 – 31 December 31 2018), civil rights lawyer and civic activist, was born in Cleveland to Rudolph and Minnie (Evans) Garner.  She graduated fourth in her class from East High School in 1962 and from Flora Stone Mather College of Western Reserve University (

CAPERS, JEAN (EUGENIA) MURRELL (11 January, 1913-18 July, 2017) in 1949 became the first African-American woman elected to Cleveland City Council. Despite the challenges of being both black and female, she enjoyed a long, lively, and contentious career in public life.

CARAL (CLEVELAND ABORTION RIGHTS ACTION LEAGUE). See NARAL OHIO (NATIONAL ABORTION AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ACTION LEAGUE).

The CATHERINE HORSTMANN HOME was founded by the Catherine Horstmann Society in 1907 to shelter and train "young women who are dependent through no fault of their own." Antoinette Callaghan and a small group of Catholic women created the society to help homeless young women. The society wanted to shelter those women and train them for a place in the community.

The CENTER FOR THE PREVENTION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE was formed as Women Together in August 1979 to provide emergency shelter and counseling for battered women.

CHESNUTT, HELEN MARIA (6 Dec. 1880-7 Aug. 1969), a Latin instructor and co-author of a Latin textbook, was a notable figure among the earliest women of color in American classical education.

The CLEVELAND 1914 MARCH FOR SUFFRAGE brought together women and men, native-born and immigrant, black and white, working-class and socially prominent, seasoned politicos and political newcomers from 64 Ohio counties in pursuit of a single goal: passage of an amendment to the Ohio constitution that would give Ohio women the right to vote.

The CLEVELAND COALITION OF LABOR UNION WOMEN (CLUW), chartered 22 Sept. 1974, is not a union but rather a chapter of a national organization of WOMEN and men unionists which advocates for women workers within the framework of affiliated unions. It is considered to be one of the national organization's most active chapters. The national organization was founded in Chicago in Mar. 1974.

The CLEVELAND FEMALE SEMINARY, a boarding and day school for girls, was a forerunner of colleges for women. Founded by Rev. Eli N. Sawtell, the seminary opened on 3 May 1854 (an earlier enterprise by the same name had been established in Apr. 1837). Rev.

CLEVELAND HADASSAH. See HADASSAH.

The CLEVELAND PRO-CHOICE ACTION COMMITTEE (1978-1984) was grassroots activist organization that supported the larger agenda of reproductive rights, including support for safe, legal and funded abortion, opposition to coercive sterilization, opposition to the Hyde Amendment, and defense of health clinics from anti-abortion demonstrators.

The CLEVELAND RAPE CRISIS CENTER (CRCC), founded in February 1974, advocates women's safety, counsels victims of rape and sexual abuse and their families, and educates the public about these and other issues. The first such center in the U.S. was organized in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1972.

The CLEVELAND ROCKERS were Cleveland's first professional women's basketball franchise. On October 31, 1996, the Women's National Basketball Association announced that Cleveland and seven other cities would be awarded franchises to open the inaugural 28-game summer season in 1997. The Cleveland Cavaliers organization was designated to run Cleveland's new Eastern Conference WNBA team.

The CLEVELAND SOROSIS, organized in May 1891 with 17 members, focused on women's growing sense of power to change themselves, their condition, and society. The group grew out of the Western Reserve Club of Cleveland (est. 1882) and was patterned after clubs in New York and California. Mrs. W. G. Rose served as the group's first president.

The CLEVELAND WOMAN'S CLUB provided Cleveland women with a place to hold meetings, entertain guests, and attend lectures and musical entertainments for more than 30 years. Set up as the not-for-profit Womens' Club House Assn. in 1908, the organization changed its charter to become a for-profit body in 1910 so as to realize its objectives.

CLEVELAND WOMEN WORKING. See 9TO5 NATIONAL ASSN. OF WORKING WOMEN.

Finding aid for the Cleveland Women Working Records. WRHS.

The CLEVELAND WOMEN'S ORCHESTRA was formed in 1935 to give women with a desire for a musical outlet the opportunity to participate in an orchestral experience. HYMAN SCHANDLER, the founder, was motivated by the dearth of women then participating in symphony orchestras. The Cleveland group survived to become the oldest women's orchestra in the United States and the world.