Winchester Academy honors Women’s History Month
Theresa Kaminski will present “Dr. Mary Walker, the Civil War and the Fight for Women’s Rights” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 21.
Hosted by Winchester Academy, the program is in honor of Women’s History Month.
Kaminski is professor emerita of history at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
She will present the story of an exceptional woman who helped change the face of medicine during the Civil War.
Dr. Mary Edwards Walker graduated from medical school in 1885 and wanted to join the army as a surgeon. But she was not allowed because she was a woman. Walker did not want to be a nurse either and in 1861 she chose to volunteer for the Union Army.
Four years later, President Andrew Johnson awarded Walker the Medal of Honor for her medical service rendered during the Civil War. She remains the only woman to receive that recognition.
Walker was also an outspoken advocate for women’s rights. She tirelessly promoted women’s dress reform and always wore a Bloomer costume.
After the war, she dedicated her life to the women’s suffrage movement, frequently clashing with its established leadership over ideology and tactics.
Kaminski considers herself “a historian of scrappy women” and loves to talk about these women, sharing their history and her insights.
Winchester Academy’s late, former trustee, Joan Wasserberg, is the sponsor of this program.
This virtual program will be live-streamed via Facebook Live, YouTube and WIN-TV, and can be heard on WILW 96.3 FM.
This hybrid format also provides for limited seating in the Waupaca City Council Chamber at City Hall, with masking required for unvaccinated persons.
Make reservations via email to [email protected] or by telephone to 715-258-2927.
Audience members may submit questions to the speakers via Facebook or by phoning 715-942-9917 during the program.