2019 Iowa Women's Hall of Fame

iowa department of human rights

Press Release  -  June 13, 2019

2019 Recipients Announced for Iowa Women's Hall of Fame and Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice 

The Iowa Commission on the Status of Women (ICSW) is pleased to announce the 2019 Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame inductees. Four remarkable women will be inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame, and one outstanding woman will receive the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice.

To highlight women's heritage and recognize their important contributions to society, the ICSW established the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 1975. Each subsequent year, the ICSW and the Iowa Department of Human Rights welcome four women into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame, paying tribute to them and setting them forth as role models for others. The ICSW also awards the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice to a recipient who has made a significant contribution to the state of Iowa in the area of equity and justice.

The 2019 Iowa Women's Hall of Fame honorees are:

  • The Honorable Ruth Babcock Klotz (Des Moines, Iowa):  Former president of Soroptimist International, mentor, attorney, one of the longest serving judges in Iowa’s history, legal scholar
  • Mona Lea Kadel Martin (Davenport, Iowa):  Former state representative who was instrumental in the passage of the Iowa Equal Rights Amendment, Iowa’s maternity stay law; the measure requiring insurance companies to provide coverage for prescription contraceptive drugs, devices and services; and healthcare reforms impacting older Iowans
  • Ione Genevieve Shadduck, PhD (West Des Moines, Iowa):  Long-time advocate for women in sports and physical education, professor, attorney, author, one of the professionals that advocated for the transition to 5-player girls basketball in Iowa, founding member of the Iowa Organization of Women Attorneys and the Iowa Women’s Political Caucus, leader in the Older Women’s League
  • Florine Mary Swanson (Galt, Iowa):  Long-time Executive Director of the Iowa 4-H Foundation; active and committed member of the American Association of University Women (serving in leadership positions numerous times at the local, state and national level); served as a delegate to the Commission on the Status of Women at the UN on several occasions; advocate for gender balance in Iowa

The 2019 Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice Recipient is:

  • Mary Beth Tinker (Washington, DC; originally from Des Moines, Iowa):  Life-long advocate for social justice, civil rights, freedom of speech, and the rights of youth.

As of 2019, 180 women will have been inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame, and the ICSW will have awarded the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice to 32 recipients.

Event Information

The induction ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 24, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. at Urbandale High School Performing Arts Center, 7111 Aurora Avenue, Urbandale, Iowa.  A reception will immediately follow, sponsored by the Friends of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women. The ceremony and reception are free and open to the public. 

The location for the 2019 Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame is a change in venue location from previous years.

Note to editors: Media are welcome and encouraged to attend the ceremony. A separate press release will be issued closer to the event including pictures and full biographies.