It’s no secret that BU has some pretty notable alumni. But, more often than not, the powerful women alumni of BU are not given the credit they deserve (and no, I’m not talking about JennaMarbles here). So move over Beyonce! It’s time for a new girl crush!
Science
Helen Magill White – Helen White was the first woman in the United States to earn a Ph.D. Where she got it, you ask? Why, Boston University! Always a trailblazer, White was the first female student at Boston Public Latin School in 1859, before continuing her education at Swarthmore and then BU to earn her Ph.D. for a dissertation on Greek drama. White continued her studies at the University of Cambridge in England before devoting her life to education.
Myrtle Bachelder – Myrtle Bachelder was a key player in the Manhattan Project (or, for those of you who are a little rusty on your WWII history, the creation and test of the atomic bomb). She followed this with more impressive scientific developments, including research into metal analysis and study of moon rocks. Bachelder achieved her master’s degree at BU in 1939.
Fe del Mundo – Doctor Fe del Mundo devoted nearly 80 years of her life to pediatric work in the Philippines, most notably making improvements on incubation and doing research that led to a better understanding of dengue fever. She was also very active in public health. Mundo earned her master’s degree from Boston University in 1940 after attending the University of the Philippines and Harvard Medical School.
Journalism
Nina Totenberg – Nina Totenberg is a national recognized legal correspondent for National Public Radio. Her reporting cannot only be heard on the airwaves, but also in an impressive number of magazines, including The New York Times Magazine and Parade Magazine. Totenberg also boasts a slew of awards and honors for her reporting work. Though she technically dropped out after less than three years of school, I think it’s safe to call Totenberg a bona fide BU alum.
Joan Vennochi – Sometimes you don’t have to look too far for success after BU, as Joan Vennochi has proven. A Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for the Boston Globe, Vennochi covers everything from business and law to culture at both the local and national level. Her writing appears every Sunday and Thursday in the Globe, which you can find for free in almost every corner of COM (hint hint!), if you’re a journalism major looking for motivation.
Politics
Barbara Jordan – Everyone’s mind immediately jumps to Martin Luther King Jr. when they hear Boston University and Civil Rights in the same sentence, but Barbara Jordan is another important alum in this movement. After graduating from BU’s law school in 1959, Jordan went on to become the first African-American elected to the Texas Senate after Reconstruction as well as the first black woman in the House of Representatives. A distinguished orator and champion of minority rights, Jordan shouldn’t be forgotten in the shadow of some of the more celebrated Civil Rights activists.
Anna Howard Shaw – Anna Howard Shaw, women’s suffrage leader, is in fact an alum so prominent that there is an entire day devoted to honor her (30 Rock fans know what I’m talking about). There is also an Anna Howard Shaw Center in the School of Theology, where Shaw graduated in 1886 – the only woman in her class. A feminist, physician, minister, and brilliant orator, Shaw has certainly earned a day in her honor. So follow Liz Lemon’s lead and celebrate February 14, Anna Howard Shaw Day!
Literature
Dorothy West – A noted member of the Harlem Renaissance, Dorothy West is known for faithfully documenting a lot of the issues in the African American community at the time. Published for the first time at 14 years old, West earned the nicknamed “The Kid” from Langston Hughes himself. West has published a couple books as well as founded two literary magazines, Challenge and New Challenge.
Business
Nina Tassler – While you may not have heard of Nina Tassler before, you are definitely familiar with the three letters in her job title. Tassler has been the President of CBS Entertainment for almost ten years now. A graduate of CFA, Tassler worked her way up through CBS to become a powerful woman in media. And she has BU to thank for not only her education, but also her husband, who she met as a student here.
Jessica McClintock – If you went to your high school senior prom, then you might be familiar with Jessica McClintock. A noted designer, McClintock took a small garment company and turned it into a national household name. Deeply invested in every part of her company, even as the head of a multi-million dollar company, McClintock is a real inspiration for all of the hard-working ladies in SMG.
Entertainment
Faye Dunaway – While there are an impressive number of actresses that have walked up and down Comm. Ave. as BU students, Faye Dunaway is in a league of her own. A key figure in the “New Hollywood” of the 1970s, Dunaway has been a part of so many classic films. After finally winning an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Network and following two nominations for Bonnie and Clyde and Chinatown, Dunaway established herself as a true American movie star. A movie star made in the halls of our very own CFA!