Fellow Sisters,
As a result of Mount Holyoke’s pride in our famous alumnae, we often forget about our powerful sister schools and the connection we share with their graduates. Besides the obvious Hillary Clinton, Gloria Steinem and Madeline Albright, here are a few other women who have made the 7 Sisters proud.
Martha Stewart: Barnard
Martha Stewart attended Barnard College on a partial scholarship and modeled during college to pay for the rest. Though she left after her sophomore year, she returned a year later and graduated with a double major in history and architectural history. After working as a model and stockbroker, Stewart began a catering business, leading to her eventual company Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, with books, magazines, television and radio programs.
Julia Child: Smith
Julia Child attended Smith College with the hope of becoming a writer, and graduated in 1934 with a degree in English. After working in an advertising firm and the government branch Office of Strategic Services, her husband was assigned to the US Information Service at the American Embassy in Paris in 1948, where she discovered her passion for French cuisine. She then attended the Cordon Bleu cooking school, and began writing her own cookbook, the now-famous Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The cookbook led to television programs, appearances on shows, and more cookbooks, and in 2009, the film Julie and Julia.
Lauren Graham: Barnard
Lauren Graham graduated from Barnard College with a degree in English before attending Southern Methodist University, where she received a master’s degree in acting. After appearing in a variety of TV shows, including Law & Order, Seinfeld and 3rd Rock from the Sun, Graham landed her well-known roll of Lorelei Gilmore in “Gilmore Girls,” from 2000 to 2007. Currently, she plays the part of Sarah Braverman in “Parenthood.”
Anna Quindlen: Barnard
Anna Quindlen, a writer and journalist, graduated from Barnard College in 1974 and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the college. Quindlen worked for the New York Times in 1977 as a reporter, eventually becoming an editor and finally a columnist before leaving to write novels full time in 1995. She has written many best-selling books and in 1992 received a Pulitzer Prize for her New York Times column “Public and Private.” Quindlen also wrote a column for Newsweek from 1999 to 2009.
Diane Sawyer: Wellesley
Diane Sawyer earned her English degree from Wellesley, and became a weathergirl for a local Kentucky station early on. After working for the White House during Richard Nixon’s presidency, Sawyer joined CBS in 1978 as the co-host of a morning news segment before becoming the first female co-anchor of 60 Minutes in 1984. She eventually left to join ABC, where she became the host of 20/20 and Good Morning America. In 2009, she became the host of ABC’s World News.
Her Campus wants to hear from you! Who are the most influential alumnae from Mount Holyoke?