The National WWII Museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy is proud to present its next scholarly symposium in honor of Women’s History Month.

The Institute will host this daylong symposium in conjunction with its spring Emerging Scholars Colloquium. The program will feature topics expanding past the Our War Too: Women in Service special exhibit, providing program guests with additional content about women’s role in the war. Guests will also have the opportunity to hear about Our War Too from a Museum curator, with time following to view the exhibit.

PROGRAM SYNOPSIS

The program will begin Thursday evening with a reception and Mason Lecture featuring retired US Army Col. Edna Cummings speaking on the legacy of African American women in the military. This will serve as both a closing program for Black History Month and the kickoff to Women’s History Month.

On Friday, all-day programming will explore various topics, including women leaders during the war; women in uniform, science, and medicine; and women war correspondents. This will include a Young Scholars Panel featuring two graduate-level presenters who have previously been affiliated with a Museum-sponsored program or workshop, such as ASU, the SMH Summer Seminar, or the Emerging Scholars Workshop. The Young Scholars Panel aims to broaden our scholarly community and engage further with those who have been a part of closed Museum programs. Additionally, attendees will hear about the Our War Too: Women in Service special exhibit from the Museum's Senior Curator and Director for Curatorial Affairs, Kim Guise. Guests will be encouraged to visit the exhibit during an extended lunch break.

The symposium will conclude with best-selling author Jennet Conant discussing her upcoming biography of combat correspondent Marguerite Higgins.

Date: Friday, March 1, 2024 | Location: BB’s Stage Door Canteen

8:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. | Welcome

• Michael Bell, PhD, Executive Director of the Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy

8:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. | Giants of History: Leading American Women of World War II

• Shannon McKenna Schmidt, The First Lady of World War II: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back
• Christopher Gorham, The Confidante: The Untold Story of the Woman Who Helped Win WWII and Shape Modern America

10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Break

10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. | Women in Uniform Young Scholars Panel

• Brittany Huner, “Recruiting Women in WWII”
• Molly Sampson, “WAAC Training Programs”

11:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Lunch Session: Our War Too: Women in Service Special Exhibition Presentation

• Kim Guise, Senior Curator and Director for Curatorial Affairs

12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Lunch Break and Special Exhibition Viewing

2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. | Women in Science and Medicine

• Charissa Threat, PhD, Nursing Civil Rights: Gender and Race in the Army Nurse Corps
• Elizabeth Norman, PhD, We Band of Angels: The Untold Story of the American Women Trapped on Bataan

3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Break

3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Fierce Ambition: The Life and Legend of War Correspondent Maggie Higgins

• A conversation with author Jennet Conant

5:00 p.m. | Closing Remarks

• Michael Bell, PhD, Executive Director of the Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy