Our Legacy

Uncovering IU’s “Hidden Figures”

Women have attended Indiana University since 1867, and now constitute the majority of living alumni worldwide. Yet women’s many contributions as students, faculty, staff, and alumni are significantly under-recognized through traditional mechanisms such as named scholarships and professorships, statues, portraits, markers, and other physical artifacts.

It is time to bridge the visibility gap

Women’s Philanthropy seeks to honor the unsung pioneers who have quietly transformed the lives of countless students, or who have achieved national and international recognition for their work but haven’t been as heralded at their home institution.

Through archival research and personal interviews conducted at Indiana University, we can learn of distinguished IU women and minority alumni whose stories need to be told. This project expands the ranks of the role models we hold up as exemplars of the Hoosier spirit.

The IU Women’s Philanthropy Visibility Fund assists to ensure that recognition projects such as plaques, portraits, and statues can continue in perpetuity as worthy individuals are proposed for recognition.