Women in Uniform: Young Scholars Panel | Our War Too: Women's History Symposium
11The National WWII Museum’s Jenny Craig Institute for the Study of War and Democracy hosted the “Our War Too: Women’s History Symposium” in honor of Women’s History Month.
The symposium, which took place from February 29 to March 1, 2024, featured topics expanding upon the Museum’s special exhibit, Our War Too: Women in Service. The event kicked off with the Gen. Raymond E. Mason Jr. Distinguished Lecture on World War II featuring retired US Army Col. Edna Cummings speaking on the legacy of African American women in the military.
On Friday, March 1, the free all-day public program explored various topics involving women’s contributions to World War II. Authors Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Christopher Gorham discussed leading figures during the war such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Anna Rosenberg. Other panels included discussions on how the military trained and recruited women for military service, along with nurses and their significant role in the war.
Guests also had the opportunity to hear a behind the scenes discussion on the creation of Our War Too with time following to view the special exhibit.
The program concluded with a conversation featuring author Jennet Conant, on her newly released book, Fierce Ambition. This biography covers the life of Maggie Higgins, a war correspondent who reported from the front lines of the European Theater on various events of the war, including the liberation of Dachau.