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Madeira

Women Who Change the World

From astrophysicists to economists to actresses, Madeira women of all ages and generations have great accomplishments that span throughout their lives and their careers. As a Madeira alumna, you share a common bond with the following extraordinary women among many others. 

Madeira women continue to push, challenge, and question. The purpose of this page is to highlight the unique achievements of our alumnae and as those accomplishments continue to grow, this page will always be a work in progress. 

Listed ascending order by class year

All 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
All Activist Actress Administrator Artist Art Historian Business Leader CEO Conservationist Consultant Doctor Economist Explorer Filmmaker Horsewoman Interior Designer Jewelry Designer Journalist Judge Lawyer Military Philanthropist Photographer Physical Therapist Physician Politician Producer Scientist Writer
Katharine Meyer Graham
Katharine Meyer Graham '34 Business Leader | Publisher, The Washington Post
Pricilla "Payne" Hurd
Pricilla "Payne" Hurd '38 Philanthropist | Established the John D. Deardourff Award for Creativity and Exploration
Penny Chenery
Penny Chenery '39 Horsewoman | Bred triple-crown winner Secretariat
Ruth Carter Stevenson
Ruth Carter Stevenson '41 Philanthropist | Founder of the Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth
Joan Morgenthau Hirschhorn
Joan Morgenthau Hirschhorn '41 Physician | Founder of Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center
June Biedler
June Biedler '43 Scientist | "Mother of Drug Resistance"
Martha Gaines Wehrle
Martha Gaines Wehrle '44 Politician | Politician; West Virginia State Senator
Frances Sternhagen
Frances Sternhagen '47 Actress | Winner of two Tony awards
Alice Mitchell Rivlin
Alice Mitchell Rivlin '48 Economist | Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
Jane Richards Roth
Jane Richards Roth '52 Judge | Philadelphia Third Court of Appeals
Mona Hagyard
Mona Hagyard '52 Scientist | Solar Physicist & Director of Solar Vector Magnetograph Facility
Barbara Babcock Millhouse
Barbara Babcock Millhouse '52 Art Historian | Founder, Reynolda House Museum of American Art
Helen Thom Edwards
Helen Thom Edwards '53 Scientist | Developed Tevatron, 1st high energy accelerator based on super conducting magnets
Anne Page Dubois
Anne Page Dubois '56 Administrator | Texas Governor's Mansion
Dr. Sally Heap
Dr. Sally Heap '60 Scientist | Astrophysicist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Susan "Stockard" Channing
Susan "Stockard" Channing '61 Actress | "Grease", "West Wing"
Blair Brown
Blair Brown '64 Actress | Tony Award winner for "Copenhagen"
Patricia Phelps de Cisneros
Patricia Phelps de Cisneros '65 Philanthropist | Fundacion Cisneros
Patience White
Patience White '66 Physician | Chief Public Health Officer of the Arthritis Foundation
Sylvia Bravo Larsen
Sylvia Bravo Larsen '67 Politician | New Hampshire State Senator
Clara López Obregón
Clara López Obregón '68 Politician | Minister for Employment in Colombia
Milbry Polk
Milbry Polk '71 Explorer | Founder of Wings WorldQuest
Naomi Pierce
Naomi Pierce '72 Scientist | Biologist in Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University
Rossana Lacayo
Rossana Lacayo '75 Filmmaker | Founded Gota Films in Nicaragua
Lucy Blake
Lucy Blake '76 Conservationist | President of the Northern Sierra Partnership
Brooke Myers
Brooke Myers '77 Military | Lieutenant Colonel, US Army
Julia Reed
Julia Reed '78 Writer | "The House on First Street", "Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena"
Clara Bingham
Clara Bingham '81 Journalist | Newsweek White House correspondent
Courtenay Valenti
Courtenay Valenti '81 Producer | Warner Brothers Pictures
Amanda Travers Nisbet
Amanda Travers Nisbet '82 Interior Designer | Amanda Nisbet Design
Stephania Bell
Stephania Bell '83 Physical Therapist | ESPN Sports Commentator
Heath Slane
Heath Slane '83 Jewelry Designer | Founder of SLANE Jewelry
Dr. Cecilia Mermel MacCallum
Dr. Cecilia Mermel MacCallum '83 Doctor | Oncologist
Maryam Ayromlou
Maryam Ayromlou '85 Producer | Erin Burnett Out Front, CBS The Morning Show, Dateline
Schroeder Stribling
Schroeder Stribling '84 CEO | N Street Village
Mika Brzezinski
Mika Brzezinski '85 Journalist | Co-host of Morning Joe
Brandon Holley
Brandon Holley '85 Journalist | Editor in Chief, Lucky Magazine
Alex Kuczynski
Alex Kuczynski '86 Writer | "Beauty Junkies: Inside Our Billion Dollar Obsession with Cosmetic Surgery"
Avery Miller
Avery Miller '86 Journalist | World News with David Muir
Holly Twyford
Holly Twyford '86 Actress | Four-time Helen Hayes Award winner
Rory Kennedy
Rory Kennedy '87 Producer | "Ethel"
Sue Luangkhot Hoppin
Sue Luangkhot Hoppin '87 Consultant | Founder and President of the National Military Spouse Network
Meredith Whitney
Meredith Whitney '87 CEO | Meredith Whitney Advisory Group
Melanie Dunea
Melanie Dunea '89 Photographer | "My Last Supper: The Next Course"
Ami Vitale
Ami Vitale '89 Photographer | Magazine Photographer of the Year winner
Jeanne Smoot
Jeanne Smoot '89 Activist | Launched Tahirih Justice Center's Forced Marriage Initiative
Dr. Angela Powell
Dr. Angela Powell '91 Military | President-elect of the Otolaryngology Section of the National Medical Association
Dr. Lina Abirafeh
Dr. Lina Abirafeh '92 Activist | Executive Director, Arab Institute for Women, Lebanese American University
Dr. Reena Pande
Dr. Reena Pande '92 Doctor | Cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital & Chief Medical Officer at AbleTo
Nana Amoako-Anin
Nana Amoako-Anin '94 Lawyer | Founder, Bliss Yoga Accra & Ghana Executive Director for Touch A Life
Lindsay Mannering
Lindsay Mannering '00 Journalist | Editor, Helped Launch Bustle Digital Group
Dr. Casey Means, MD
Dr. Casey Means, MD '05 Doctor | Functional Medicine and Wellness Practitioner
Monica Kang
Monica Kang '06 Business Leader | Founder and CEO, InnovatorsBox
Whembley Sewell
Whembley Sewell '11 Journalist | Executive Editor, Conde Nast