This Week in Women’s Business History

April 20 – 26

Apr. 20, 1874
Micaela Almonester de Pontalba dies. Today, the Pontalba Buildings in New Orleans and the US ambassador’s residence in Paris stand as signs of Micaela’s business acumen and perseverance. Born in New Orleans, she spent most of her life in France after her marriage to Celestin de Pontalba. Married life was not blissful; she spent over twenty years fighting with her father-in-law and husband as she struggled to retain control of her inheritance, as was her right under French law. This enraged her father-in-law, who fired four bullets into her chest. When she did not die, he committed suicide. Once the French courts found in her favor, she put her energies building her home in Paris (which is now the ambassador’s residence) and the Pontalba Buildings.

Apr. 21, 2005
LaDoris Foster dies. Foster’s first job at Johnson Publishing Company was as executive secretary to the company’s founder, John H. Johnson. She headed the personnel department for two decades and was promoted to vice president.

Apr. 22, 2000
Jane Trahey dies. Trahey started in advertising in the 1940s and opened her own firm, Jane Trahey Associates, in 1958. She wrote numerous books including Jane Trahey on Women & Power: Who’s Got It. How to Get It.

Apr. 23, 1881
Ethel B. Power is born. She was a writer and editor of House Beautiful and House & Garden magazines.

Apr. 24, 1967
Della Dunkin Brown dies. Brown operated Oklahoma City’s John A. Brown Co. department store from 1940 until her death.

Apr. 25, 1900
Edith Gregor Halpert is born. She founded New York City’s Downtown Gallery of Contemporary Art and co-founded the American Folk Art Gallery.

Apr. 26, 1894
Emilie Gleason Sargent is born. She was executive director of the Detroit Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) from 1924 until she retired in 1964.

Last week in women’s business history

Apr. 13, 1916
Edna Lewis is born. Lewis was a chef, restaurant owner, cookbook author, and teacher.

Apr. 14, 1984
Frances Ullman DeArmand dies. Between 1941 and 1941 she was editor of Calling All Girls magazine (renamed YM), published by Parents’ Magazine Press. She was fired when she refused to cross picket lines during a strike.

Apr. 15, 1961
Mary Chase Perry Stratton dies. Stratton was a ceramic artist who, with Horace J. Caulkins, co-founded the Pewabic Pottery in Detroit, which still produces architectural tiles and ceramic pieces.

Apr. 16, 1954
Helen M. Knight dies. In 1921, Knight created the women’s department at the San Francisco office of Bank of Italy (now Bank of America). In June 1930, it had $4 million in deposits and more than 12,000 accounts and that year Knight was promoted to assistant vice president.

Apr. 17, 2000
Alice Sheets Marriott dies. She was instrumental in the success of the first Marriott business: a franchised A&W root beer stand in Washington, D.C., opened in 1927 by her husband, J. Willard Marriott, and a partner. Alice handled bookkeeping and banking. As the business grew and changed, Alice took on diverse duties, such as becoming the chef when they added food to their root beer stand, helping design and decorate later restaurants and hotels, and scouting locations. Most importantly, she was a trusted advisor and served on Marriott corporate boards.

Apr. 18, 1894
Enid Justin is born. She founded the Nocona Boot Company in 1925.

Apr. 19, 1666
Sarah Kemble Knight is born. She was a successful merchant in colonial Boston and Connecticut.