Federal Woman's Award

President John F. Kennedy meets with recipients of the 1962 Federal Woman's Award, 1962.
President John F. Kennedy meets with recipients of the 1962 Federal Woman's Award for outstanding contributions to government on February 27, 1962. Shown from left to right are Dr. Allene R. Jeanes, Research Chemist at the Department of Agriculture; Evelyn Harrison, deputy director of the Bureau of Programs and Standard at the Civil Service Commission; Dr. Nancy Grace Roman, Chief of Astronomy and Solar Physics at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); President Kennedy; Margaret H. Brass, Attorney at the Department of Justice; Katherine W. Bracken, Director of the Office of Central American and Panamanian Affairs at the Department of State; Dr. Thelma B. Dunn, cancer researcher at the National Cancer Institute; Katie Louchheim, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs (accompanying the recipients). Photo taken in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C.

The Federal Woman's Award, also known as the Federal Women's Award, was given by the United States Civil Service Commission from 1961 until 1976.[1]

The Federal Woman's Award was established by Barbara Bates Gunderson in 1960, while she was serving on the Civil Service Commission. Her goal was to publicize the ways women were excelling in federal employment, and to encourage young women to consider careers with federal laboratories and agencies.[2] Gunderson was also the first chair of the award's board.[3] Katie Louchheim, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, and later Patricia Hitt, Assistant Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, issued press releases about the awards and appeared at the presentation events.[4][5][6]

Nominations were submitted annually by federal departments and agencies to the board of trustees for the Federal Woman's Award. The nominations were judged by a panel of "persons prominent in public life", including magazine editors, broadcasters, journalists, business executives, and college presidents. Among the judges were Milton S. Eisenhower, Carl Rowan, Doris Fleeson, Arthur Sherwood Flemming, Sol Linowitz, David Brinkley, Betty Furness, and Katharine E. McBride.[5][7][8]

About six recipients were selected each year, for their "outstanding achievement and ability in an executive, professional, scientific, or technical position in the federal service."[9] Award winners were invited to a ceremony in the Oval Office. The president posed for official photographs with the group, and made remarks for the occasion.[10][11]

The awards were discontinued after the 1976 presentations, though there were nominations for 1977.[12] "Although the prize had served its purpose at no cost to the government, its continuation in the era of equal opportunity as a separate compensatory award for women only, which had seemed so harmless and even chivalric before, began to raise concerns and embarrassment," noted historian of science Margaret Rossiter.[13] In 1978, Rosalyn Yalow, one of the award's first recipients, recalled that "I viewed this award as second-class", adding "I was therefore delighted to learn last year that the Federal Woman's Award was to be discontinued — I hope permanently."[14]

President Lyndon B. Johnson poses in the Oval Office with six white women, all winners of the 1964 Federal Woman's Award; from left to right: Elizabeth Messer, Evelyn M. Anderson, Gertrude Blanch, President Johnson, Patricia van Delden, Margaret Schwartz, and Selene Gifford
President Lyndon B. Johnson poses in the Oval Office with six winners of the 1964 Federal Woman's Award; from left to right: Elizabeth Messer, Evelyn M. Anderson, Gertrude Blanch, President Johnson, Patricia van Delden, Margaret Schwartz, and Selene Gifford
  1. ^ Central Intelligence Agency (1969-09-01). CIVIL SERVICE JOURNAL. Emma Best.
  2. ^ "Federal Woman's Award Announced by Miss Bates". Pensacola News Journal. 1960-10-12. p. 8. Retrieved 2021-05-04 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Gilbride, F. J. (1964-07-19). "Permanent Designation". Argus-Leader. p. 30. Retrieved 2021-05-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Will Cite High-Caliber Career Women in Federal Positions". Asbury Park Press. 1961-10-29. p. 23. Retrieved 2021-05-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b "Katie Loucheim Announces Federal Women's Judges". The Pittsburgh Courier. 1965-11-27. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-05-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Gov. Career Women Receive Top Honors". The Pittsburgh Courier. 1969-03-01. p. 10. Retrieved 2021-05-04 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Judges Told for Career Womens' [sic] 8th Annual Award". The Pittsburgh Courier. 1967-11-18. p. 10. Retrieved 2021-05-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "List Federal Woman's Awards Judges for '63". Asbury Park Press. 1963-03-04. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-05-04 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Federal Award for Women Lists Open". Reno Gazette-Journal. 1962-12-30. p. 8. Retrieved 2021-05-03 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Lola McFerson, AFLC Nominee for Federal Women's Award". The Hill Top Times. 1977-04-29. p. 2. Retrieved 2021-05-04 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Rossiter, Margaret W. (2012-04-02). Women Scientists in America: Forging a New World Since 1972. JHU Press. ISBN 9781421402338.
  14. ^ Yalow, Rosalyn (1978-06-21). "'Ghetto' Awards That Say 'Not Bad for a Woman'". The Des Moines Register. p. 15. Retrieved 2021-05-04.