John Harvey Gray, Lourdes Gray, Elisabeth Clark

Notable American Women is a multi-volume biographical dictionary project initiated in 1957 by Radcliffe College librarians and scholars. The first three volumes, published in 1971, aimed to address the underrepresentation of women in existing biographical records. The series was designed to showcase the breadth and depth of women's impact on American life, serving as a significant resource for the burgeoning field of women's studies. Subsequent volumes updated the collection, extending coverage and refining inclusion criteria to emphasize influence and pioneering work over mere fame. The project has been recognized for its scholarly rigor and for bringing attention to a diverse range of women across various fields and backgrounds.

The genesis of Notable American Women can be traced back to 1957 when Radcliffe College staff recognized the need for a comprehensive biographical resource dedicated solely to women. This initiative culminated in the publication of the initial three-volume set in 1971. At a time when women's studies was gaining traction in American universities, the dictionary emerged as a crucial reference work. It was lauded by scholars for correcting the historical exclusion of women from mainstream biographical accounts and for significantly advancing the understanding of women's roles in U.S. history. The project highlighted the diverse contributions of 1,359 women, providing a vital counterpoint to existing biographical dictionaries.

The Notable American Women series continued to expand its scope with subsequent volumes. "Notable American Women: The Modern Period" updated the collection to include subjects who died between 1951 and 1976, a joint effort by Radcliffe College and Harvard University Press. In 2004, a fifth volume, "Notable American Women: A Biographical Dictionary Completing the Twentieth Century," was released. Edited by historian Susan Ware, this volume focused on women who died before 2000 and shifted the inclusion criteria. Rather than prioritizing fame, it emphasized influential figures and those who made pioneering contributions in their respective fields, notably discontinuing the automatic inclusion of first ladies.

Reviews have consistently praised Notable American Women for its scholarly approach and comprehensive coverage. Scholars described the work as "the most scholarly of all female reference works yet published," noting its attention to political activists, feminists, and suffragists, as well as their opponents. The inclusion of women from diverse ethnic groups and occupations, drawing on extensive archival and secondary sources, was also highlighted. Later volumes were commended for their balanced and detailed entries that emphasized achievement, with particular recognition given to the inclusion of Black women and their contributions across various fields, addressing historical oversights in other compendiums.

“1,359 entries showed the range and depth of women’s contributions to American life, a pointed correction to women’s near-total exclusion from existing biographical dictionaries at the time and a dramatic spur to further research.”

“the most scholarly of all female reference works yet published”

“As might be expected in a work of this kind, special attention is given to political activists, feminists, and suffragists, but the opponents of feminism and woman suffrage have not been ignored.”

“Although white middle-class women who were reformers and authors predominate, women of other ethnic groups, holding diverse occupations, also appear. The sources consulted for even the most obscure of the lives are impressive - manuscripts, archives, collateral accounts, as well as exhaustive secondary material.”

“There is someone here to interest everyone. If the longest articles seem a bit overpowering, or the more familiar ones too well known, turn to Mary Peck Butterworth, counterfeiter of colonial days; Margaret Hardenbrook Philipse, who carried on a mercantile business in her maiden name [...]; Kate Kennedy, who in the late 1860's fought for "equal pay for equal work"; Ellen Demorest who developed paper dress patterns; Alice Kober who helped decipher Linear B; Ida Lewis, a lighthouse keeper renowned for her rescues; Annie Peck, the mountain climber; Ann Eliza Young, a disaffected wife of Brigham Young; Emma Edmonds who served for two years in the Army of the Potomac disguised as a man.”