Eight A-listers added to the Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame.
Eight women praised for their contributions to the world
Eight Arkansas women — including two posthumously — were honored Aug. 30 at the 4th annual Arkansas Women’s Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
The event, held at the Statehouse Convention Center, honors women who have made significant contributions in their fields. The honorees are:
Carolyn F. Blakely, a lifelong educator and chancellor emeritus at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. She developed the Honors College at the university and served as its dean.
Karen Flake, president and chief executive officer of Mount St. Mary Academy and founder of Karen Flake & Associates providing market research and consulting.
Sue Griffin, a professor whose research on Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions has led to significant breakthroughs in early detection and treatment.
Raye Jean Jordan Montague, considered a “hidden figure,” she was an engineer in the U.S. Navy who is credited with the first computer-generated rough draft of a U.S. naval ship.
Mary Steenburgen, an Academy Award winner for her work in Melvin and
Howard, she has appeared in more than 60 films. Her latest films are Book Club, released in May, and
Antiquities, which premiered in Little Rock recently.
Annabelle Imber Tuck, the first woman elected to the Arkansas Supreme Court in 1997. As a chancery judge, she made the first ruling in the Lake View school district case, ultimately changing how schools are funded.
Bessie Grace Boehm Moore, an educator, civic leader and advocate for an Arkansas library system, economic education in public schools and the creation of the Ozark Folk Center State Park. She died in 1995.
Florence Beatrice Smith Price, the first black female composer to have a composition performed by a major American symphony orchestra. Symphony in E
Minor was performed by the Chicago Symphony of Orchestra in 1933. She died in 1953.