Women's History Month

National Women’s History Month, established in 1987 when Congress passed a law dedicating the entire month to honor women's history, honors women's achievements and contributions in history. The tradition started in 1978 in Santa Rosa, California, where they held the first “Women's History Week.” It fell on the week of March 8th, which includes International Women's Day, so that the tradition could overlap quickly and spread across the county where more and more places started to participate. In 1980, what is now the National Women's History Alliance lobbied for national recognition. In response, President Jimmy Carter signed a presidential proclamation, marking the week of March 8th as National Women's History Week.

Now, almost fifty years later, additional countries across the globe (such as the United Kingdom and Australia) join the United States in acknowledging National Women's History Month. Each year, Philadelphia hosts many tours and events to honor the city's impactful female leaders. Most museums and historical sites offer exhibits to showcase the rich women's history throughout the city. Many important historical figures are from Philadelphia, including Betsy Ross and Lucretia Mott. Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag, creating the symbol for the United States of America. Lucretia Mott, an influential abolitionist, played a major role in advocating for women's rights. Recently, the city’s premier arts venue was renamed in honor of Marian Anderson, a Philadelphia native and pioneering operatic singer.

From the inception of our school, women have played a large role in creating the culture.  As the school was founded after the suffrage movement, the school has always been co-educational. More recently, just prior to Head Master Laurie, our three most recent principals were all women. In fact, our school takes its name from Julia Reynolds Masterman, who played a critical role in establishing Philadelphia’s Home and School Council and served as its first president. To honor the month, the Masterman Feminist Club held a bake sale and presented a lesson on feminism to middle school Peer Counseling classes.