Captain Janet H. Days
Strong Men and Women in Virginia History
With decades of meritorious service in the United States Navy, Captain Janet H. Days is the first African American to command Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval station.
2024 Strong Men & Women in Virginia History Honoree
Charles Spurgeon Johnson
Strong Men and Women in Virginia History
Charles Spurgeon Johnson battled racism early in the twentieth century as a preeminent sociologist, author, educator, and college president.
2017 Strong Men & Women in Virginia History Honoree
Christopher Howard
African American Trailblazers
Christopher Bernard Howard sets an example for Hampden-Sydney students and for everyone through his impressive sum of service to the country and youth-enrichment efforts in Africa and the United States.
2010 African American Trailblazers Honoree
Clara Leach Adams-Ender
Virginia Women In History
Chief of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, Clara Adams-Ender was the first African American woman to command a major army base.
2005 Virginia Women in History Honoree
Dana Olden Baldwin
Strong Men and Women in Virginia History
Dana Olden Baldwin was a community physician whose entrepreneurial spirit created a thriving African-American business district in Martinsville.
2018 Strong Men & Women in Virginia History Honoree
Dangerfield Newby
African American Trailblazers
Dangerfield Newby was one of five African Americans who took up arms against slavery with fellow abolitionist John Brown at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, in October 1859.
Elizabeth "Annie" Snyder
Virginia Women In History
From her cattle farm in Prince William County, Annie Snyder fought successfully to preserve the land around the Civil War battlefield at Manassas.
2004 Virginia Women in History Honoree
Elizabeth Van Lew
Virginia Women In History
Elizabeth Van Lew oversaw an effective and significant Union spy network during the Civil War.
2001 Virginia Women in History Honoree
Florence Farley
African American Trailblazers
Florence Saunders Farley has fought against racism and bias to open doors in science and politics for African American women in Virginia.
2010 African American Trailblazers Honoree
Grace Brewster Murray Hopper
Virginia Women In History
Nicknamed "Grandma COBOL," Grace Brewster Murray Hopper was a pioneer in computer science and the first woman to achieve the rank of rear admiral in the United States Navy.
2006 Virginia Women in History Honoree