{"id":62193,"date":"2024-03-01T16:10:43","date_gmt":"2024-03-01T20:10:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/womeninoptometry.com\/?p=62193"},"modified":"2024-03-01T16:16:00","modified_gmt":"2024-03-01T20:16:00","slug":"recognizing-optometrys-female-trailblazers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.womeninoptometry.com\/newsmakers\/article\/recognizing-optometrys-female-trailblazers\/","title":{"rendered":"Recognizing Optometry’s Female Trailblazers"},"content":{"rendered":"
Women In Optometry<\/em> has been honoring women for excellence and their contributions to the optometric profession through its annual Theia Awards. The first awards were named for some of the profession’s earlier trailblazers and for Women’s History Month, it seems appropriate to revisit these inspirational women, past and present.<\/p>\n The Theia Award for Leadership and Advocacy is named in honor of Dr. D. Elva Cooper.<\/strong> Let’s go back to 1911, before women had the right to vote. Dr. D. Elva Cooper stepped in to lead the national Congress of the AOA, after the male president and vice president were unable to attend the meeting. D. Elva Cooper of Bradford, Pennsylvania, the second vice president of the AOA, was next in line to be presiding officer. It didn\u2019t go well.<\/p>\n A petition was circulated to ask her to step down. She wouldn\u2019t and apparently regained control\u2014and recognition for her efforts\u2014for managing a chaotic meeting.<\/p>\n Dr. Gertrude Stanton<\/strong> was our inspiration for the Innovation Award. In 1901, when the first optometry licensure law passed in Minnesota, Dr. Stanton applied and received a license\u2014apparently the first woman to do so in the U.S.<\/p>\n She ran an optical business in her own storefront\u2014and hired her daughter to work for her. It was an unconventional life for a woman, but it gained her financial success, independence and a loyal following of patients. In an advertisement for her services, it says she \u201cis in charge and is an expert.\u201d Today’s opticians have a lot more to explain. At the turn of the last century, however, this was the standard: “When an eye glass\u00a0feels right, holds the lenses rigidly and perfectly before the eyes, and looks neat and dainty, then the eye glass is right.\u201d<\/p>\n The inspiration behind the Dr. Mae Booth-Jones<\/strong> Mentoring and Education Award became the first female president of an optometry school in 1920. She was appointed to the post at the Washington School of Optometry in Spokane, Washington.<\/p>\n Here are the recipients who have been selected by the WO<\/em> professional advisory board as winners of these awards. Over the years, we added a few additional categories: Young OD, Industry Influencer, Business and Influencer awards.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nD. Elva Cooper<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Dr. Gertrude Stanton<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Dr. Mae Booth-Jones<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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