The 2026 class of trailblazing women will be honored at the Hall’s Induction Ceremony in Rochester, New York
Seneca Falls, NY — April 15, 2026 — The National Women’s Hall of Fame today announced its 2026 class of inductees, recognizing extraordinary women whose achievements have shaped American history across fields including athletics, public service, literature, science, and social justice. The inductees will be formally honored during the 2026 Induction Ceremony on September 24, 2026, at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York.
Located in Seneca Falls—the birthplace of the women’s rights movement—the National Women’s Hall of Fame celebrates women whose courage, innovation, and leadership have changed the world. The 1848 Seneca Falls Convention and the Rochester Women’s Rights Convention held shortly afterward marked the beginning of the organized movement for women’s equality in the United States.
“We are thrilled to welcome an extraordinary class of inductees—women who have transformed science, civil rights, the arts, education, philanthropy, and beyond,” said Dr. Kristen Oehlrich, CEO and Executive Director of the National Women’s Hall of Fame. “Among them are names many people recognize and others whose stories deserve to be widely known. Each represents a legacy that continues to shape the world today. Sharing their stories ensures their impact is seen, valued, and preserved.”
As a nonprofit dedicated to elevating women’s voices, the National Women’s Hall of Fame equips and empowers today’s changemakers while advancing gender equity through education, storytelling, and public recognition of women’s achievements. The Hall’s 2026 induction class reflects that mission, honoring women whose leadership, discoveries, and advocacy have left a lasting mark across a wide range of fields and disciplines.
The following women make up the National Women’s Hall of Fame’s 2026 induction class:
Contemporary Honorees
Jackie Joyner-Kersee: Widely regarded as one of the greatest all-around athletes in history, Joyner-Kersee is a six-time Olympic medalist and world-record holder in the heptathlon. She continues to support youth and community development through philanthropic work in East St. Louis, Illinois.
Adele Smith Simmons: A pioneering academic and philanthropic leader, Simmons served as the third president of Hampshire College and later as president of the MacArthur Foundation, overseeing more than $1 billion in global initiatives focused on human rights, sustainability, and community development.
S. Mona Sinha: CEO of Equality Now and a globally recognized advocate for gender equality, Sinha has mobilized more than $1 billion to advance legal reforms and leadership opportunities for women and girls worldwide.
Judith Viorst: Acclaimed author, poet and journalist whose work spans adult and children’s literature, Viorst is best known for the beloved children’s classic, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and the psychology best-seller, Necessary Losses. Viorst has also written extensively on family life and aging, including her humorous and poignant “decade series” of poetry chronicling the stages of a woman’s life, from her 30s through her 90s.
Janet Yellen: An economist and policymaker who has served as U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Chair of the Federal Reserve, and Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Yellen is the only person to have led all three. A respected scholar, she has made lasting contributions to macroeconomics and labor economics.
Historical Inductees
Edith S. Green: A ten-term U.S. Representative from Oregon and influential architect of federal education policy, Green helped pass landmark legislation including the National Defense Education Act, the Higher Education Act, and Title IX, expanding access and equity in education.
Virginia Hall Goillot: A World War II spy who organized resistance networks across Nazi-occupied France for Britain’s Special Operations Executive and later the U.S. Office of Strategic Services, she was the only civilian woman of the war to receive the Distinguished Service Cross.
Harriet Jacobs: An escaped enslaved woman and author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, one of the most important firsthand accounts of American slavery, Jacobs later became an abolitionist and humanitarian supporting newly freed people during and after the Civil War.
Georgeanna Emory Seagar Jones, MD: A reproductive endocrinologist whose work transformed infertility diagnosis and treatment, she co-founded the first successful in-vitro fertilization program in the United States, contributing to the nation’s first IVF birth in 1981.
Audre Lorde: An influential poet, essayist, and activist whose work confronted racism, sexism, and homophobia while exploring Black female identity. Lorde became a central voice in feminist and LGBTQ movements and co-founded Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press.
Marie Tharp: A geologist and oceanographic cartographer who created the first scientific maps of the ocean floor, her work revealed the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and provided key evidence supporting the theory of plate tectonics.
Full bios of all inductees and more information about the 2026 Induction Ceremony can be found at www.womenofthehall.org/induction-2026. Additional details, including ticket details and related events, will be announced in the coming months.
Sponsorship opportunities are now available; for more information, reach out to Karen A. Macier, Induction 2026 Director at kmacier@womenofthehall.org.
About the National Women’s Hall of Fame
Founded in 1969 and located in Seneca Falls, New York, the National Women’s Hall of Fame is the nation’s first and oldest nonprofit organization and museum dedicated to honoring and celebrating the achievements of distinguished American women. Through education, exhibits, and national programming, the Hall preserves the stories of women whose leadership and contributions have shaped the world.
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