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March is Women’s History Month and I was excited to find out the theme for 2025 is Moving Forward Together – Women Educating and Inspiring Generations since there are several new books that speak to these achievements.

Today, with nearly half of the American workforce made up of women, it’s hard to imagine a time when women were discouraged from working at all. For us baby boomers, the name Katharine Gibbs might not be familiar but she was a trailblazing entrepreneur who started one of the most successful business schools in the country. Founded in New York City in 1911, the Katharine Gibbs School trained thousands of young women for secretarial work, educating them not only about the business world but also how to confidently project themselves with authority and power. 

Earning their own money allowed many women to become self-sufficient and many of the “Gibbs Girls” went on to have careers as businesswomen and executives. Gibbs had high standards in dress – students were required to wear white gloves – and decorum, and was determined to give women without a college education a chance to prosper .“Expect Great Things!: How the Katharine Gibbs School Revolutionized the American Workplace for Women” by Vanda Krefft is a well-researched history of not only the Gibbs schools but also an era when working women quietly became pioneers.

Some more Women’s History recommendations

We all know the Beatles were popularly known as “the Fab Four” but have you heard of the other  Fab Four? If not, check out Mary McGlory and Sylvia Saunders terrific book about the Liverbirds, the first female British rock band. The authors are two of the founding members of the band that formed in Liverpool in 1962 and they have stories galore about the heyday of British pop music and their place in the “Merseybeat” scene. They were scorned by John Lennon, who told them “women don’t play guitars”, yet they went on to land a recording contract and tour with some of the biggest musical acts of the era. This is a band worth rediscovering.

Connie Chung was one of the most popular television reporters for over two decades. She became a news anchor at both CBS and the first female anchor at NBC. Having risen to the top in a field that was almost exclusively white and male, Chung experienced sexism and discrimination but also friendship and support from other female journalists. Her memoir “Connie” details her life as a Chinese-American, her early days as a young reporter in Washington, DC and her 40-year marriage to fellow journalist Maury Povitch. This is an inspiring read about determination and gratitude.

Celebrate Women’s History Month with a great book from your library.