In Praise of Women
The community of Arlington has been enriched by the work of women leaders, whose impact has been felt in civil and voting rights, education, business, government and human services. Women have served with distinction on our elected boards and their names grace many of our public buildings and spaces. Women like Mary Norris Lockwood, Ellen Bozman, Emma Violand-Sánchez, Elizabeth Campbell, Dorothy Hamm, Mary Marshall, Evelyn Syphax and her sister-in-law Marguerite Reed Syphax. Many of their stories are represented in the archives of the Charlie Clark Center for Local History.
Thanks to research done by Bridgette Wisdom, an Adult Services Librarian at Central Library, here are more stories of heroic women with an Arlington connection.
With her husband, John Ball, Elizabeth Payne Ball (1716-1792) helped build what is now known as the Ball-Sellers House, Arlington’s oldest standing house. After Ball’s death in 1766, William Carlin, a tailor in Alexandria whose clients included George Washington and George Mason, bought the house. In that era, widows customarily left their homes to move in with their children, but that didn’t suit Elizabeth. She gave her dowry to Carlin in exchange for staying put, and she went to court to enforce a provision of British law that, despite the sale, granted her lifetime occupancy of one third of the property. Today, the Ball-Sellers House is operated by the Arlington Historical Society.
Adapted from "In Arlington’s Oldest House, a Layered Past" and "County’s oldest residential property approaches a milestone anniversary."
Selina Norris Gray (1823-1907), a second-generation Arlington enslaved woman and personal maid to Mary Custis Lee, was entrusted with the care of Arlington House during the Civil War. When the Lee family fled Arlington House in 1861 under the threat of Union occupation, the keys were left with Selina who was tasked with protecting the family's home and heirlooms, many of which belonged to George and Martha Washington. Gray saved the Washington heirlooms from looters when she prevailed upon Union General McDowell to remove the pieces to the U.S. Patent Office for safekeeping. Selina and her children were freed in December 1862 and continued to live at Arlington House until they purchased 10 acres in Green Valley, where they grew and sold produce until her death in 1907. Selina Gray Square, located at 1201 South Ross Street, is named in her honor.
Adapted from "Selina Gray," "Selina Norris" and "Life of Gray Family."
Grace Hopper (1906-1992) was a trailblazing computer scientist and U.S. Navy rear admiral. She helped program the Harvard Mark I during WWII, created one of the first compilers, and played a key role in developing COBOL, a programming language for business applications. Hopper's commitment to making computers accessible to all, regardless of their background, laid the foundation for the widespread use of computers today. Admiral Hopper is buried at Arlington National Cemetery and was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. The Grace Murray Hopper Park is located at National Landing near the River House Apartments, where she lived until her death in 1992. The Grace Hopper Center, currently under construction, will be the innovation hub for Arlington Public Schools, housing new and growing programs available to APS high school students.
Adapted from "Rediscover Grace Murray Hopper" and "Grace Murray Hopper: Mathematician, Navy Veteran, Arlington Resident."
Joan Mulholland is an American civil rights activist who was active in the 1960s. Rejecting segregated norms, she was one of the Freedom Riders who was arrested in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1961, and was confined for two months in the Maximum Security Unit of the Mississippi State Penitentiary (known as "Parchman Farm"). The following year she was the first white student to enroll at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, and served as the local secretary of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. After her retirement from teaching, she founded the Joan Trumpauer Mulholland Foundation dedicated to civil rights education.
Adapted from "Joan Trumpauer Mulholland: Taking a Stand" and The Joan Trumpauer Mulholland Foundation.
Torri Huske is an American competitive swimmer and Olympic champion known for her dominance in the butterfly and freestyle events. Born in 2002 in Arlington, Virginia, she began swimming at age six with Arlington Aquatic Club. Huske rose quickly through swimming age group competitions, breaking national records in high school before joining Stanford University. She has earned multiple Olympic medals and set American and world records. Huske has become one of the most decorated American swimmers of her generation with standout performances at the 2020 Olympics, 2022 World Championships and numerous collegiate and international meets.
Adapted from "Torri Huske, Arlington’s Best-Known Olympian, Talks About Her NoVA Roots and What’s Next" and "Torri Huske’s winding road to Tokyo continues with an American record at the U.S. Olympic trials."
These women, along with an endless list of others, have left their mark on Arlington and the world—and inspire us to make our own.
Celebrate Women’s History Month and explore our diverse women’s voices book lists or find more stories about Arlington women from the Charlie Clark Center for Local History at Arlington Public Library. Always free. Always open.
Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library
Editor's note: The title "In Praise of Women" references the works of William Dunbar and Stephen Sondheim in name only.