Trexler Library Celebrating Women's History Month

Trexler Library is celebrating Women’s History Month with our new display, Visionary Women: Champions of Peace and Nonviolence. Our display highlights the 16 women who have won the Nobel Peace Prize, which is awarded to the “person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses” (NobelPrize.org).

Amongst the winners are Jane Addams, recognized for her pioneering social work; Mother Teresa, for her work to overcome poverty; and Malala Yousafzai, for her struggle against the suppression of children and their right to education. To learn more about these incredible women, check out our display in the library lobby or follow along on our Instagram stories(@desales_trexler).

Women’s History Month began as an effort in the 1970s to revise school curriculum in California to better reflect the role women played throughout US history. This lead to a Women’s History Week in 1978, correlating with March 8, International Women’s Day. In 1980, the National Women’s History Project along with other advocacy groups and historians successfully lobbied for national recognition: President Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8, 1980 as National Women’s History Week by Presidential Proclamation. In 1987, Congress passes Public Law 100-9, designating March as Women’s History Month.