March is Women’s History Month, an event that celebrates the contributions and achievements of women in our society. King County is marking the occasion with a special display in the tunnel between the County Administration Building and the County Courthouse.
The “Working Women of King County” posters celebrate the pioneering women who broke gender and color barriers to serve the citizens of King County. Among the women featured are current Sheriff Sue Rahr, the first female sheriff of King County, and Ruby Chow, who was the first Asian-American elected to the Metropolitan King County Council.
The display also highlights the contributions of women who are not as well known to the public. Women like Arlene Tupper, who in 1973 became the first woman Metro transit operator, and Sharon Walker, who was hired by King County in 1987 to be a painter.
The women featured in the display give a human face to this year’s Women’s History Month theme, “Our History is Our Strength.” This is the 100th anniversary of the event, which traces its roots back to the first International Women’s Day in 1911. In his proclamation for this year’s celebration, President Barack Obama called on Americans to reflect on “the extraordinary accomplishments of women” in shaping our country’s history.
Join King County in celebrating the accomplishments of the remarkable women who have played such a vital role in our County’s success by viewing the “Working Women of King County” display on Flickr or in person.
Jeff Welch
March 8, 2011
I believe that you folks may be mistaken about the first female transit operator being hired in 1973. In fact, women have been operators in and around the Seattle Transit system since at least as far back as the 1940s.
See this historical newsletter from the ATU 587 archives:
http://www.atu587.com/documents/January1944TransitTalk.pdf