Nancy Brinker's determination to fulfill her promise to her dying sister to do something about breast cancer has changed the world. The passion, determination and persistence of women like Brinker have spawned new organizations, fought diseases, and led to the world being a better place for all. Match each of the world-changing women with her contribution:
____ 1. Established Susan G. Komen and has raised billions of dollars for breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment.
____ 2. Established what became Weight Watchers International.
____ 3. Came up with the idea and designed the first American Christmas Seals in 1907 in the fight to eradicate tuberculosis.
____ 4. Her 1962 book Silent Spring led to a ban of the pesticide DDT.
A. Emily Bissell
B. Rachel Carson
C. Jean Nidetch
D. Nancy Brinker
Emily Bissell opened Delaware's first branch of the Red Cross in 1904. In 1907, she was approached by her physician cousin who needed help to raise $300 to keep a tuberculosis sanatorium open. Bissell had read about Christmas Seals, developed in Denmark for the first time in 1904. She got permission from the American Red Cross to use their logo in the stamp design and printed the first Christmas Seals. With the assistance of a popular Philadelphia newspaper, Bissell sold $3,000 worth of Christmas Seals from the Wilmington, Delaware post office and helped save the sanatorium. She spent the rest of her life promoting Christmas Seals and the fight against tuberculosis.
Zoologist Rachel Carson began writing radio scripts for the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries in her first job out of college and supplemented her income freelancing natural history articles for a local newspaper. After 15 years in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, she had risen to Editor-in-Chief of all of their publications. During this time, she used her non-government working hours to write books including the prize-winning work The Sea Around Us. In 1962, she published an expose of the pesticide DDT titled Silent Spring. This book led to a ban of the pesticide and is credited with the resurgence of the environmental movement leading to Earth Day in 1970. Carson has been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.
In 1961, Jean Nidetch decided to do something about her weight after seeing a neighbor in the local grocery store who asked her when she was due. With her conviction that eating was an emotional problem with an emotional solution, she founded what is today Weight Watchers, International. Her model of weight loss included many different facets including eating systems, memberships, meetings, and cookbooks. When Heinz bought Weight Watchers in 1978, Nidetch, who had lost 72 pounds, became a multimillionaire. The weight loss market was forever changed by her efforts.
Nancy Brinker promised her sister, Susan G. Komen (who died of breast cancer), that her death would not be in vain. Today, regarded as the leader of the global breast cancer movement, Brinker established Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and began a crusade. In 1982, newspapers would not print the words "breast cancer", few treatment options existed, people didn't talk about breast cancer in public, and there weren't any support groups. Brinker's efforts changed all of that leading to an organization that has made pink the iconic color, and races and corporate partnerships all over the world that have raised over $2 billion for breast cancer education, treatment, screening and research. Brinker has been inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.
Learn about more she-roes and celebrate amazing women. All of these women are profiled in the book Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed America. They changed the world. We are proud to stand on their shoulders and appreciate and benefit from all of their efforts.
(Answers 1-D, 2-C, 3-A, 4-B )