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Women’s History Month Spotlight: Amelia Earhart

March 3rd, 2017
Galina · Staff Recommendations

Amelia Earhart is famed for being an early female aviationist—who once lived in Harrison! She held the women’s altitude record in 1922. She was the first woman to fly an autogyro (a one-person helicopter) in 1931, the first woman to cross the U.S. in an autogyro, the first woman to cross the Atlantic and the first person to cross the Atlantic twice (1932), the first woman to fly nonstop across the U.S. (1933)—and more!

Amelia Earhart was an innovator in other areas, too, starting her own line of no-iron, wash-and-wear, simple and elegant clothing that freed women up to do what they wanted instead of spending time taking care of their clothes. She fought for equal rights, worked as a teacher and social worker teaching English to Syrian and Chinese immigrants, and worked as a nurse during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. During a time when commercial air travel was looked on with suspicion as being too dangerous, she was a tireless advocate for flight.

Amelia was also a writer. She served as aviation editor for Cosmopolitan magazine from 1928 to 1930 and wrote many magazine articles, newspaper articles, and essays. She also wrote three books:

To find out more about Amelia Earhart, check out the following:

From February through July, the Harrison Public Library will present a series of programs that celebrate the 80th anniversary of American pilot Amelia Earhart’s last flight and her 120th birthday anniversary. Please join us in celebrating a courageous woman who wouldn’t let anything stop her—not even the sky!

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