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American Morning
National First Ladies' Library Saluting Five Women
Aired September 10, 2001 - 09:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: They are pioneers. They are role models. They're legacies. They're women who've made significant marks in history, and their contributions are not going unnoticed. Members of the National First Ladies' Library are saluting five women this year as part of the third annual "First Ladies' Salute First Women."
This year's honorees include Lindy Boggs, the first women elected to the U.S. House of Representative, from Louisiana; Wilhelmina Holladay, founder of the National Museum of Women in the Arts; Bernadine Healy, who is president and CEO of the American Red Cross; along with Elizabeth Dole, and Coretta Scott King.
And joining us now from Washington is Mary Regula, founder of the First Ladies' Library and organizer of this year's salute to first women.
Miss Regula, thanks very for being here.
MARY REGULA, FOUNDER OF FIRST LADIES' LIBRARY: I'm delighted to be here.
MCEDWARDS: Great.
How did you get going with this?
REGULA: Well, I really started out wanting the contributions of First Ladies' to be recognized. And so I'm the founder and the president of the National First Ladies'' Library. I think for too long there has been an educational void, a void that does not remember those first ladies, and their contributions to American history. And from that, we decided we would also honor those women in the First Ladies' Salute in Washington, D.C. of woman who have accomplished in their own right and our first -- are pioneers in their field.
MCEDWARDS: And what's the idea behind that? I mean, is the idea to sort of put the women out there as achievers, as role models, and also to honor their accomplishments, I suppose?
REGULA: Absolutely. It's all about role models. I think we live in a time when we desperately need role models, for not only this generation, but for future generations as well. And we also live in a time when women have made great strides in our society. I think those women ought to be recognized while they're still living. And with that, those being recognized will not only focus on them, but also focus on women who will be achievers in the time to come.
MCEDWARDS: I'm curious to know whether you've seen it change over the years or how you've seen a change over the years. I imagine there was a time when it was difficult to pitch to people, the people you need to organize these things and get the money, that this is worthwhile.
REGULA: You know, surprisingly, it hasn't been difficult to raise the raise the funds. It seems to be an idea whose time has come. We raised over three and a half million from private and corporate funds.
MCEDWARDS: But I guess my question is, has that got easier over time?
REGULA: Well, certainly, it has. Because I think we are recognizing women more. We are recognizing First Ladies' more than ever before. "John Adams," the new book written by David LeCulla (ph) certainly recognizes not only John, but Abgail as well. I think for a long time, we thought that first lady's activism only started from Eleanor Roosevelt, and we forget that it actually started from Martha Washington on.
MCEDWARDS: Well, and I guess any nation's history tends to be history about its forefathers, doesn't it?
REGULA: Yes, we've forgotten the mothers of that history as well.
MCEDWARDS: So what's going to said about these honorees at this gala event?
REGULA: Well, we are not only going to honor them, we are going to thank them for being first in their fields.
Willamena Holiday, who is one of those women, who is the genius and the founder, really the creative genius of setting up the first museum of arts for women artists. Certainly Coretta Scott King, who took a civil movement, a civil right's movement, and held it together after the tragic death of her spouse, Martin Luther King. Elizabeth Dole, who was the first woman to hold two cabinet posts, and then became the first woman to head the American Red Cross. Certainly we don't want to forget ambassador Lindy Boggs, who not only served in Congress, and the first woman from Louisiana to so serve, but became the first woman to be appointed ambassador to The Vatican, which is a feat in itself. I'm sure the pope was somewhat surprised to have a woman appointed to that role.
MCEDWARDS: Right.
REGULA: And of course Bernadine Healy, who not only was the first woman to head NIH, but also the first woman to be head of Ohio State School of Medicine.
MCEDWARDS:: Right.
All right, Mary Regula, we'll leave it there. Thanks for your time this morning. Good luck with the event.
REGULA: Thank you for having me and letting me you tell this story.
MCEDWARDS: All right.
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