More of the Greats—Unsung Americans
Thank you Maryanne Tuite for adding to our list of Great Americans with your suggestion of the book
by
Sharon McMahon:
The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement,
2024, Penguin-Random House
Actually, I think we would be better thanking, posthumously, Maryanne’s sister Carolynn Tuite who suggested the book to their bookclub.
As Maryanne told me:
“The Small and Mighty was Carolynn’s suggestion but she never got to read it with us, having died November 15th. The group wanted to read it in her honor which touched me. Carolynn was my small and mighty person!
Hope you enjoy the book. Some really unsung heroes of service to our country in varied ways.”
I (Anne) met Carolynn in September 2025, just a few weeks before she passed, having lost her struggle with cancer. She, Maryanne, and I had attended and graduated from the same all-girls Catholic high school (Carolynn being one year ahead of us).
When we met that night, we were at a celebration function together and had the best time chatting all evening. I felt as though I had known Carolynn for just as long as I knew my own classmate, her sister Maryanne.
And so, in honor of the Tuite sisters, Carolynn and Maryanne, here are short summaries of these Great unsung ones whom Sharon McMahon has considered in her book.
Of course, McMahon has wonderfully extensive stores about each person.
Following are my brief highlights, many of them supplemented with Wikipedia information.
1. Clara Brown (1800-1885):
Clara Brown was a former enslaved woman (enslaved until her 50s) from Virginia and Kentucky who became a community leader and philanthropist. She helped formerly enslaved people become settled during Colorado’s Gold rush. She was know as the “Angel of the Rockies” and made her mark as “Colorado’s first black settler and a prosperous entrepreneur.” She moved West and became a wealthy, philanthropic trailblazer in Colorado.[1]
2. Virginia E. Randolph (1874-1958 )
Virginia Estelle Randolph was a pioneering American educator who transformed rural education in Henrico County, Virginia.
Her work is widely associated with vocational education. She was named the United States’ first “Jeanes Supervising Industrial Teacher” by her Superintendent of Schools, Jackson Davis, and she led a program funded by the Jeanes Foundation to upgrade vocational training throughout the U.S. South as her career progressed.
Two school of the Henrico Public Schools system were named in her honor and in 1009, Randolph was posthumously honored by the Library of Virginia as one of their “Virginia Women in History” for her career and contribution to education. (2)
3. Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929)
Katharine Lee bates was an American author and poet, chiefly remembered for her anthem “America the Beautiful,” but also for her many books and articles about social reform, on which she was a noted speaker.
Bates enjoyed close links with Wellesley College, Massachusetts, where she had graduated with a B.A., and later became a professor of English literature (she also achieved an M.A. from Oxford University).
At Wellesley, she helped to launch American literature as an academic specialty, and in writing the first-ever college textbooks on it. (3)
4. Inez Milholland (1886-1916)
Inez Milholland was a lawyer and
From her college days at Vassar College, she campaigned aggressively for women’s rights.
prominent public face of the women's suffrage movement who famously led the 1913 parade on horseback.In 1913, she led the dramatic Woman Suffrage Procession on horseback in advance of President Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration as a symbolic herald.
Milholland was also a labor lawyer and a war correspondent. She died of pernicious anemia on a speaking tour, traveling against medical advice.(4)
5. María de López (1881-1977)
María Guadalupe Evangelina de López was a California educator who led Spanish-language suffrage campaigns and drove ambulances during World War I.
She was an American activist in the Women’s Suffrage movement in California, serving as a Spanish-language translator for the movement during the 1911 state-wide campaign.
She is credited as the first person to make speeches in California on equal suffrage in the Spanish language while also giving speeches on suffrage in English.(5)
During World War I, she temporarily gave up her teaching job and moved to New York City. There she trained as an ambulance driver.
She also learned to fly a plane and served in the ambulance corps in France. She was later cited for her bravery by the French government. (6)
6. Rebecca Brown Mitchell (1834-1908)
Rebecca Brown Mitchell was a missionary and teacher who advocated for women's suffrage. She served as the Idaho Legislature’s first female chaplain and helped the state recognize women’s right to vote.
From EastIdahoNews.com, October 10, 2024 —Article by Rett Nelson, IDAHO FALLS
When Rebecca Brown Mitchell arrived in Eagle Rock with her teenage daughter, Bessie, they had nothing but the clothes on their backs and a few belongings.
Rebecca’s husband had died 26 years earlier leaving her a widow at age 22 with two young sons.
Laws prevented women from owning property at the time, and when her husband died, it meant their home and everything else they’d acquired became the property of the state. This put Mitchell in a precarious situation.
With the exception of a Bible and a hymnal—her only possessions exempt from reclamation, according to her personal history—she was forced to buy back her own property from the state of Illinois.
She later married her husband’s brother. They had two daughters together, one of which died at age 5, before they ultimately separated.
Once her sons were grown, she attended a missionary training school in Chicago for a few months before heading west with her daughter.
In her book, The Small and the Mighty, Sharon McMahon describes Mitchell as an “audacious woman” who found a place to live in Eagle Rock by going door to door and asking for help.
Eventually, a man took pity on her and offered his shed for shelter. She started teaching school in the shed she was living in to make ends meet. She also taught Sunday School.
For the next two years, she saved money to build the city’s first chapel, which also housed a school. The chapel later became First Baptist Church..
Mitchell’s involvement in the women’s rights movement came from her own experience. She came from a situation in which women had no rights, and were subject to men, McMahon says. “She saw firsthand how women could be unfairly treated and abused by men who have too large of an affinity for alcohol.”
In 1896, 10 years after Mitchell joined the WCTU, Idaho became the fourth state to allow women the right to vote.
7. Anna Thomas Jeanes (1822-19070
Anna T. Jeanes, who was born in Philadelphia, PA, was a wealthy American Quaker philanthropist and educator.
She is best remembered for establishing the Jeanes Fund, which helped fund and improve rural elementary schools for Black children in the American South.
The fund educated and hired black teachers and traveling supervisors for rural schools, and improved African American school facilities.
The "Jeanes teachers" traveled the South, providing vital support for the education of black students. In 1937 the group merged with several charities sharing similar missions, and became the Siuthern Education Foundation. (7)
8. William James Edwards (1869-1950)
William James Edwards was the founder of Snow Hill Normal and Industrial Institute and author of Twenty-Five Years in the Black Belt.
He was an Alabama educator who escaped poverty to attend Tuskegee Institute and later founded the Snow Hill Institute n 1928 (and abandoned in 2003). James is buried by the school.
The Snow Hill Normal and Industrial Institute, also known as the Colored Industrial and Literary Institute of Snow Hill, was a historic African-American school in Snow Hill, Alabama.
The school was operated as a private school for African-American children until Dr. Edward's retirement in 1924, when it became a public school operated by the State of Alabama. The school closed in 1973, after the desegregation of the Wilcox County school system.
Edwards authored Twenty-Five Years in the Black Belt about his experiences.
In the book’s Preface he wrote:
In bringing this book before the public, it is my hope that the friends of the Snow Hill School and all who are interested in Negro Education may become more familiar with the problems and difficulties that confront those who labor for the future of a race.
I have had to endure endless hardships during these twenty-five years, in order that thousands of poor negro youths might receive an industrial education, - boys and girls who might have gone into that demoralized class that is a disgrace to any people and that these friends may continue their interest in not only Snow Hill but all the schools of the South that are seeking to make better citizens of our people.
I also hope that the interest may be sustained until the State and Nation realize that it is profitable to educate the black child as well as the white.
9. Julius Rosenwald (1862-1932)
Julius rosenwald was a Jewish American business executive and philanthropist. He was the long-time president and an owner of Sears, Roebuck and Company.
His Rosenwald Fund donated millions in matching funds to promote Black American education. Together with Booker T. Washington, they built close to 4,000 schools, many of them in the segregated south and provided fellowships to close to one thousand grantees.
Although Julius Rosenwald is one of Chicago's most admired Jewish businessmen, he maintained a low profile throughout his life
His impact on America, via the retail revolution he created through Sears, Roebuck & Company, as well as his wide-ranging philanthropy, remain largely unknown, much having to do with his insistence to remain anonymous by withholding his name from the projects he funded.
A 2025 film, Rosenwald, directed by Aviva Kempner documents his life and philanthropy.
And he is [remembered] today through many books, such as Julius Rosenwald: The Man Who Built Sears, Roebuck and Advanced the Cause of Black Education in the American South by Peter M. Ascoli. Also, Julius Rosenwald: Repairing the World by Hasia R. Diner.
A new screenplay, 5000 Schools, based on his story will come out soon, directed and written by Tom Stern.
10. Booker T. Washington (1856-1915)
Booker T. Washington was a renowned American educator, author, and orator who founded the Tuskegee Institute, an institute for black higher education in Alabama.
Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the primary leader in the African-American community and of the contmpotary Black elite.
Born into slavery on April 5, 1856, in Hale's Ford,Virginia, Washington was freed when U.S. troops reached the area during the Civil War.
As a young man, he worked his way through Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute and attended college at Wayland Seminary.
In 1881, he was named as the first leader of the new Tuskegee institute (now Tuskegee University) .
11. Daniel Inouye (1924-2012)
Daniel K. Inouye was a U.S. Senator who was a celebrated war hero who’d lost an arm during World War II.
When Hawaii achieved statehood in 1959, Inouye was elected as its first member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962, and represented Hawaii in the United States from 1963 until his death in 2012.
A member of the Democratic Party, he was the most-senior member of the Senate when he died, and is the longest-serving U.S. senator in history. He never lost an election in 58 years as an elected official, and he exercised an exceptionally large influence on Hawaii politics,
A Disappointment
There is darkness in Daniel Inouye’s story that Sharon McMahon does not cover. She focuses on Inouye's life as an inspiring and unsung American hero, exclusively focusing on his early life, his discovery of the first casualties at Pearl Harbor, and his distinguished combat record in World War II.
However…
Although Daniel Inouye was later the recipient of commendations and awards, including, posthumously, of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, I was disturbed and disappointed to read about reports of allegations of sexual misconduct by at least 10 women in the 1990s.
Because the women would not testify or file formal charges, the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee dropped its investigation in 1993.
Years later, in 2014, additional allegations surfaced, in many cases prompted and encouraged by the courageous outspokenness of women as part of the #MeToo Movement.
12. Norman Mineta (1931-2022)
Norman Yasho Mineta was an American politician and Cabinet member. He was born in San Jose, California to Japanese immigrant parents who were barred from becoming American citizens at that time by the Immigration Act of 1924.
During World War II, the Mineta family was interned for several years at Area 24, 7th Barracks, Unit B in the Heart Mountain Relocation Center near Cody, Wyoming, along with thousands of other Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans.
Mineta was a driving force in the House of Representatives behind the passage of H.R. 442, while Senator Spark Matsunaga (Hawaii) "almost single-handedly" got the legislation passed in the Senate of the 100th Congress, which became the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, a law that officially apologized for and redressed the injustices endured by Japanese Americans during World War II.
Norman Yoshio Mineta was an American politician and U.S. Army officer who served as a Cabinet secretary in the administrations of President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, and George W. Bush, a Republican.
Mineta served in both the administrations of President Bill Clinton, as commerce secretary, and President George W. Bush, as transportation secretary, where he oversaw aviation security during 9/11 and its aftermath.
When Bush announced Mineta as his pick for transportation secretary in 2001, Mineta became one of few people to serve in both Democratic and Republican Cabinets.
As my Secretary of Transportation, Bush wrote, he showed great leadership in helping prevent further attacks on and after 9/11.'“
“As I said when presenting him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Norm has given his country a lifetime of service, and he’s given his fellow citizens an example of leadership, devotion to duty, and personal character.”
Pete Buttigieg, who was Transportation Secretary at the time of Mineta’s death, remembered him as “a strong bipartisan voice for American infrastructure, Asian American trailblazer, and exemplary leader in both local and federal office.”
RESOURCES:
Wikipedia: Clara Brown. Shirley, Gayle C. (2002) More than Petticoats. Twodot. p. 1 )n14)
Wikipedia: Virginia Randolph.“Virginia Estelle Randolph (1874-1958)” Library of Virginia
Wikipedia: Katharine Lee Bates
Wikipedia: Inez Milholland
Wikipedia: María de López. Helton, Jennifer (15 August 2019). “Woman Suffrage in the West.” National Park Service.
Wikipedia: María de López. “Los Angeles citywide history context statement, Context: Women’s Rights in Los Angeles” Survey LA Los Angeles Historic Resources Survey October 2018.
Wikipedia: Anna T. Jeanes.“150 Year timeline” Southern Education Foundation.
Wikipedia: Julius Rosenwald: Diner, Kasia (2017). Julius Rosenwald: Repairing the World. Yale University Press.
Wikipedia: Daniel K. Inouye.
Honolulu Civil Beat, Denby Fawcett: “Would Dan Inouye Have Survived the 1992 Sex Allegations Today? Honolulu Civil Beat, November 28, 2017.
Wikipedia: (95) (96). Washington Post, “Inouye Review Dropped” by Senate Ethics Panel, by Kenneth Cooper, April 7,1993. Also, “Do ‘Smart Keep Silent’ on Inouye Charges?” Deseret News, (Associated Press), December 5, 1992.
Wikipedia: [98] Multiple sources, such as “NYT: Inouye made Gillibrand quip,” Jonathan Topaz, Polito, 9/22/2014.
Wikipedia: (99) “ Denby Fawcett: “Would Dan Inouye Have Survived the 1992 Sex Allegations Today? Honolulu Civil Beat, November 28, 2017.
Wikipedia: Norman Mineta
IN YOUR OWN WORDS:
Previous Post: "Summer Solstice 2026 Meditation,” Written by Anne Andersson June 12, 2026
— Dear Anne, Thanks for your wonderful account of the summer solstice. I've always thought that we might learn some valuable things from the pagans...and from others who live closer to nature. You really are an excellent writer….Blessings on your good work. —LB
—Thank you Anne. The information that you provided is very helpful, as always. It is important for us to appreciate and experience as we meditate on our many blessings. —RE
Previous Post: "America at 250🗽,” Written by Anne Andersson June 26, 2026
—Great post! Really comprehensive list. An uplifting reminder that is so needed now! 👏👏👏 —MA
Previous Post: "Mariska,” Written by Anne Andersson July 10, 2026
—Anne, again, another woman of value whom I know but was unaware of all the good she does. Thank you for your continued ‘strike-up’ conversations with others. We learn so much when we do. I wondered if you knew of this excellent book The Small and the Mighty: (Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement) by Sharon McMahon who is a longtime high school government and law teacher. This is her first book. Thank you, again, Anne, for your unique researches of people, places and events. —Maryanne
—Nice post on Mariska Hagerty and her work for rape victims. [My wife] is an empath as well.—JP
—This was such a great article about a woman who is giving so much of herself to help other people. I hope that by reading all the groups she is involved in will help people realize that they are not alone and there is help for them. Another informative article. Thanks Anne! —Barbara McCarthy
—This Is great! For sure I will read it again! —LB
—Thank you Anne. —RE
—Thanks so much for the info. It was very interesting. —MK
—Hi Anne, another beautiful article! You write sooo well. I do know about Mariska. She didn’t even know her birth father was not the body builder named Hargitay. I remember the accident, the press only sensationalized the fact that they were decapitated, I saw no mention of the children. Keep up the great work. I know I must donate again.❤️ —MH
Remember the Women
Once again, the Epstein survivors have been humiliated, this time by someone seeking to become the Attorney General of the U.S.
The nominee was “forced” to meet with the women (previously he had refused to do so), only to get the vote of a senator who had made meeting with the women a requirement of getting his “yes” vote in the confirmation hearings.
Within hours of that stipulation, the AG nominee suddenly had the meeting with the women set up and he spoke with the survivors who were present.
But the women’s reported on the meeting was negative:
Survivors like Jess Michaels stated they were treated with condescension and that the session felt like a superficial box-checking exercise rather than a genuine engagement.
Annie Farmer and other attendees voiced that the meeting made them even more confident in opposing [his] confirmation, calling him abrasive and intentionally non-committal.
Participants noted that he avoided answering questions regarding Ghislaine Maxwell’s transfer to a lower-security prison and failed to address why past investigative leads were ignored.
Dani Bensky stated that his advice to restart complaints with the FBI felt like a deliberate attempt to pass the buck and claim the office is powerless.
C:WED WISH LIST:
PLEASE DO HELP US IF YOU CAN!
