Long before the women’s liberation movement of the 1960s and ‘70s, women helped pen the pages of the world history books.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Whidbey Island chapter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) will present “Profiles of Women in History,” at 3 p.m. Thursday, March 20, at the Oak Harbor Library.

“These profiles are a way of introducing women who shouldn’t be forgotten, and will bring up information that probably won’t be studied but was important to history,” said Whidbey AAUW member, Millie Stanton.

The project, “Profiles of Women Past and Present” was started in 1987, by the Thousand Oaks, Calif., chapter of the AAUW. This is the fifth year the Whidbey Chapter has participated by donning the look-a-like attire and personalities of famous women.

Last week the Whidbey chapter made presentations at island elementary schools, including, Olympic View, Coupeville, Crescent Harbor, Oak Harbor, Broadview, and Hillcrest ; as well as Coupeville homeschoolers, South Whidbey Intermediate, and the Home Connections presentation.

The women portrayed vary from doctors to poets, politicians to astronomers.

As a young girl, AAUW member Millie Stanton was always interested in mathematics. That interest in math, as well as science, was why Stanton became interested in portraying the life of astronomer Maria Mitchell, who in 1847 became the first woman to discover a comet.

“I wasn’t just interested in the fact that she was into math, but also the fact she went so far in the field of astronomy,” Stanton said.

Retired educator Pat Hawley, who portrays poet Emily Dickinson, says young girls in the present day are still very much under pressure to conform to what others have in mind for them, but that “they are able to be a housewife if they wish, an astronaut if they wish, or both.”

Young audience members Friday asked why Blackwell, Dickinson and Mitchell never married, even though each was successful.

“Women today have the option of marriage and a career. Women in the past had to make that choice of which to have, because they had to focus on their careers to make such huge strides,” Stanton said.

While a teacher at Oak Harbor High School for 25 years, Hawley taught drama, English and speech. She first portrayed Dickinson 20 years ago in a one woman show about the poet called “The Belle of Amherst.”

“Her unique use of language had a breadth and depth of simplicity in the words in such a small space that was so far beyond the time,” Hawley said. “She and Walt Whitman changed poetry forever.”

Young audience members were surprised when Linda McNamara told them that Elizabeth Blackwell, who lived Feb. 3, 1821 to May 31, 1910, was 28 when she was finally accepted into medical school.

McNamara told of the woman physician being 36 when she opened a practice of her own, which at the time was the only way for her to practice medicine because no one wanted to hire a woman doctor.

While succeeding and setting high standards in their respective career fields, women such as Eleanor Roosevelt became inspirations for people of both genders, and of different races.

Stanton admires astronomer Mitchell’s quiet statement against slavery, which Mitchell made by not wearing cotton.

“She wanted to share her dreams and interests, she didn’t just promote astronomy but encouraged people to pursue their dreams,” Stanton said.

While wearing the personas of Dickinson, Blackwell and Mitchell this past Friday, the AAUW ladies Stanton, Hawley and McNamara agreed that famous women in history paved the path for all people, and continue to change the way of life for all.

“It seems people are more conscientious of women’s history and the things women contribute. Women are doing more things and people are paying attention,” Stanton said.

Learn more

Want to learn more about famous women and their contributions?

National Women’s History Project: www.nwhp.org

Dept. of Defense Celebrates Women’s History: www.defenselink.mil//specials/womenhistory03

Women on The History Channel: www.historychannel

.com/exhibits/womenhist

For more information about the Women visit www.aauw.org