At Holiday Inn Club Vacations, we operate in destinations shaped by people who took risks, challenged systems and built institutions that still matter today.

This Women’s History Month, we’re recognizing influential women connected to the locations where we have resorts and offices.

These women didn’t wait for permission. They changed laws, founded institutions, led governments, preserved culture and expanded opportunity where none existed.

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Arizona

Rose Mofford, Arizona’s first female governor, expanded opportunity for women in state government.

Frances Willard Munds, Arizona’s first female state senator, led efforts to secure voting rights for women.

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Florida

Mable Butler became the first Black woman elected to the Orange County Board of County Commissioners in 1984, expanding representation in local government.

Betty Mae Jumper became the first female Chief of the Seminole Tribe of Florida in 1967 and the first Seminole to earn a high school diploma, later helping preserve Seminole culture as an author and tribal storyteller.

Mary McLeod Bethune founded Bethune-Cookman University and became a national civil rights leader and presidential advisor, advancing education as a pathway to equity.

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Louisiana

Leah Chase, a renowned chef and civil rights leader, turned Dooky Chase’s Restaurant into a strategic meeting place for leaders during the Civil Rights Movement.

Mahalia Jackson’s powerful voice became a defining force of the Civil Rights Movement, using music to inspire, mobilize and unify.

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Massachusetts

Clara Barton, Massachusetts-born educator and humanitarian, founded the American Red Cross and built one of the most enduring disaster relief organizations in the world.

Elizabeth Freeman successfully sued for her freedom using the Massachusetts Constitution’s declaration that “all people are born free and equal.” Her case helped end slavery in the state.

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Missouri

Elizabeth P. “Lizzy” McDaniel played a key role in preserving historic landmarks and protecting the cultural legacy of the Ozarks.

Rose O’Neill, illustrator and women’s rights advocate, became the highest-paid female illustrator of her time and used her platform to support the women’s suffrage movement.

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Nevada

Maude Frazier, an educator and the state’s first female lieutenant governor, helped establish the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and strengthen public education.

Dat-So-La-Lee, also known as Louisa Keyser, elevated Washoe basketry into internationally recognized art while preserving Washoe cultural traditions.

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South Carolina

Mary C. Canty dedicated her leadership to youth advocacy and community development, working to expand opportunities for young people.

Gloria Sapp, an educator and businesswoman, was a driving force behind the development of the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, a landmark now permanently recognized in her name.

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Tennessee

Wilma Rudolph, born in Clarksville, overcame childhood illness to become the first American woman to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games.

Ida B. Wells, a journalist from Memphis, used investigative reporting to expose injustice and became a leading voice for civil rights and women’s voting rights.

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Texas

Rebecca Henry Hayes founded the Texas Equal Rights Association, helping formalize the state’s organized suffrage movement.

Janice Reddig Coggeshall, elected in 1984, became Galveston’s first female mayor and an advocate for civil rights.

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Vermont

Edna Beard became the first woman elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 1920, helping open the door for women’s leadership in state government.

Sarah C. Hagar founded the Vermont Library Association, expanding public access to knowledge across the state.

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Virginia

Clementina Rind became publisher of the Virginia Gazette in 1773 and made history as one of the early female printers in colonial America, printing the official laws of the Virginia colonial legislature.

Ann Wager taught free and enslaved Black children at the Bray School in Williamsburg, providing rare educational opportunities for Black students in the 1700s.

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Wisconsin

Agnes Allerton was a suffragette and business leader who championed educational opportunities for immigrant families and supported civic reform.

Bertha George founded the Geneva Woman’s Club and served 12 years on the local school board, helping strengthen key community institutions.

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India

Kalpana Chawla became the first woman of Indian origin to travel to space, inspiring generations to pursue careers in science and exploration.

Savitribai Phule helped establish one of the first schools for girls in India, expanding educational opportunities and advocating for social reform.

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Mexico

Tz’ak-b’u Aha, known as the Red Queen, influenced the religious and economic systems of the Maya city of Palenque in the 7th century.

Alondra de la Parra, an internationally recognized conductor and former Playa del Carmen resident, continues to lead on global stages in a field historically dominated by men.