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Marin Women's Hall of Fame Honorees
1994
Business & Professions
From her first job as program director of a "start-up" radio station called KTIM, to her work as an editor of the China Daily in Beijing, Beth Ashley has had a rich and varied career.
Ms. Ashley has reflected Marin County's history to new readers and captured warm reminiscences for its long-time... Read more
1994
Public Affairs
Not content to just identify problems, Margaret Azevedo has always been one of the few who solves them. Ms. Azevedo moved to Marin County in 1951 and became involved with the local Democratic Party. She chaired the successful campaign for reelection of Vera Schultz to the Board of Supervisors in... Read more
1994
Community Service
As a young mother, Joyce Goldfield spent hours on the ice-skating rink, in the ballet studio and in her sail boat. After a violent attack on her life, which she miraculously survived, Ms. Goldfield developed multiple sclerosis (associated with the trauma of this attack). Subsequent balance... Read more
1994
Education
A strong advocate of equality and excellence in education for all children, Dr. Shirley Thornton served as Deputy Superintendent of the Specialized Programs Branch of the California Department of Education from 1986 through 1995. She also served as Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Marin... Read more
1993
Arts
Emily Gates is known not only as a inspirational community member and role model for young women and girls, but also as one of the most respected and beloved chorus and musical theater teachers in Northern California. Born and educated in Ohio, Ms. Gates married her high school sweetheart and... Read more
1993
Science
Millie Hughes-Fulford, Marin's first astronaut, orbited space for nine days in June 1991 as a payload specialist aboard NASA's first Spacelab mission dedicated to biomedical studies. The SLS-1 mission flew over 3.8 million miles, 140 orbits and its crew completed over 18 experiments during a 9 day... Read more
1993
Community Service
When Marguerita Johnson graduated with a Master's in Education in the 1930's there were few teaching positions in the North for an African-American woman. When she was able to find work in her home state of Illinois. she moved to Florida and taught in a one room school house until the advent of... Read more
1993
Social Change
The Rev. Spahr first began serving people in Marin in 1975 as Associate Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in San Rafael. In 1979 she was forced to resign as Executive Director of the Oakland Council of Presbyterian Churches when she "came out" as a lesbian. She founded and served as... Read more
1993
Environment
Growing up in Fairfax, the young Karin Alstrom spent long, happy hours roaming Marin's hills. In the early 1970's when her favorite Cascade Canyon was targeted for development, Ms. Urquhart declared, "Over my dead body!" and launched a career that swept her from devoted mother of seven to... Read more
1992
Public Affairs
Member of a pioneer Mill Valley family, Jean Barnard graduated from Vassar College in 1940 Phi Beta Kappa and first in her class with degrees in political science and music. Concern for good government and the environment led her to monitor board meetings at various levels of local government... Read more
1992
Science
Born to great wealth, Louise Arner Boyd had the options that a life without financial concerns promised. In place of comfort, she chose the challenges of sub-zero temperatures, scientific exploration, polar bears, and cramped living quarters. Starting in the 1920's, she took the highly unusual... Read more
1992
Education
As Executive Director of the Beryl Buck Institute for Education, Carolyn Horan is dedicated to working with schools to restructure education to better meet student and family needs.
While working to support her two children, Ms. Horan earned her B.S. and Masters degree from San Francisco State... Read more
1992
Community Service
Rebecca Orosco de Porrata was born in a barrio in Southern California. Although her alcoholic father was frequently absent from the home because of his work as a longshoreman, her mother was always present to guide and encourage her, and remains her role model to this day. Ms. Porrata studied... Read more
1991
Public Affairs
A 1962 graduate of Brooklyn College with a B.S. degree in Economics, Ms. Boxer stepped into the Wall Street scene as a stockbroker and economic researcher. As an award-winning journalist in the 1970's, Ms. Boxer's special assignment at the Pacific Sun was to report the activities of the County... Read more
1991
Environment
Long before waste management became popular, Gloria Duncan was a leader forging a coalition of environmentalists, consumers, business communities and local governments. Their task was to address issues associated with recycling, resource recovery and litter control. Working closely with the... Read more
1991
Social Change
In the 1940's, Annette Klang Smail began her career as a social reformer by working for the Congress of Racial Equality (C.O.R.E.) in Chicago. Long an advocate of solutions to economic problems, she has lobbied at the local, state and national levels against poverty, racism and gender... Read more
1991
Community Service
Betty Times has been a leader in Marin County since high school days. Married and the mother of five children by the age of twenty two, Ms. Times entered a job training program when her youngest child was two. She simultaneously entered a bachelor's degree program and earned her B.S. in 1979. ... Read more
1990
Health & Medicine, Social Change
Over the past 30 years, perhaps no other woman has consistently impacted the lives of so many Marin County children as Evelyn Callas. It has been said of her, "She is professional, caring, warm and understanding, unpretentious, low-key and devoted to her young patients. She does it all, from... Read more
1990
Public Affairs
A long-time political activist, Elizabeth Smith Gatov served as Democratic Committeewoman for California from 1956 - 1965. In 1960, she was appointed by President Kennedy as the Treasurer of the United States, becoming the highest placed woman in that administration.
In her early years, Ms. Gatov... Read more
1990
Environment
Beginning in the 1930's, Caroline Livermore realized that the beauty of Marin could not last forever without protection and planning. She devoted her life to that end. She helped to halt development of Mount Tamalpais, saving its slopes for the valuable watershed it has become. Later, she was... Read more