Florence Howe, “Mother of Women’s Studies,” Has Passed Away

Florence Howe, Aili Tripp, Susan Friedman
L to R:  Drs. Susan Friedman and Aili Tripp of GWS, and Florence Howe celebrate Howe’s Honorary Doctorate at Quivey’s Grove in Madison, WI in 2004

Florence Howe, outstanding graduate student in the Department of English at UW-Madison from 1951-1954, has passed away. Howe was a prominent leader in the world-wide feminist transformation of education, and is widely accepted as the “founding mother” of Women’s Studies, a field she pioneered after she left Wisconsin.

Howe was the founder of the Feminist Press in 1970 and served as its director from 1970-2000. She also served as editor of Women’s Studies Quarterly from 1972-1982.  In 2004, UW Departments of Gender and Women’s Studies, English, and Afro-American Studies presented Howe with an honorary doctorate.

Additional details of Howe’s life are included in this New York Times piece.