In collaboration with the Delaware Office of Women’s Advancement and Advocacy, the University of Delaware is hosting the Women’s Hall of Fame Art Exhibition in Alfred Lerner Hall, which features portraits by Delaware artist Theresa Walton and pays homage to Delaware women. The exhibition, open from March 2024 to Jan. 15, 2025, displays 169 watercolor portraits that capture the essence of these influential women and their impact on the state.

Celebrating Delaware women

Article by Amy Wolf Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson March 07, 2024

Women’s Hall of Fame Art Exhibition now on view in Alfred Lerner Hall

In collaboration with the Delaware Office of Women’s Advancement and Advocacy, UD is hosting the Women’s Hall of Fame Art Exhibition in Alfred Lerner Hall, which features portraits by Delaware artist Theresa Walton and pays homage to Delaware women. The exhibition, open from March 2024 to Jan. 15, 2025, displays 169 watercolor portraits that capture the essence of these influential women and their impact on the state. More than half of the women have connections to UD as alumnae, former faculty, staff, parents and friends.

UD is the third host of the exhibition. Delaware Technical Community College’s Owens Campus in Georgetown hosted the exhibition in 2023, and the Delaware Art Museum was the inaugural host the previous year. Prior to the opening of the exhibition in 2022, there was no public display of the women.

“Part of this exhibit is demonstrating a huge number of women that have made a difference and, by invitation, inspiring the next generation of women to see themselves there and the next generation of men to support women in those opportunities,” said Wendy Smith, Dana J. Johnson Professor of Business and co-founder of UD’s Women’s Leadership Initiative at the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics. “This exhibit is not just a bunch of pictures on a wall. It's an invitation to inspire the next generation.”

The public is invited to attend and explore this celebration of Delaware’s trailblazing women. The exhibition extends beyond the physical space, with an online showcase on the Office of Women’s and Advancement’s website, featuring all inductees and their accomplishments.

“The University of Delaware is proud to be working with the state to host this exhibition and pay homage to these pioneers, all of whom have been key figures in the formation and positive transformation of the First State,” UD President Dennis Assanis said. “These women serve as exemplars and role models for our students, who, after graduation, will make their own mark on the world. While the opening of this exhibition commemorates Women’s History Month, the University is always committed to advancing equity, promoting inclusion and recognizing the achievements of women.”

Established in 1981, the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame recognizes the achievements of outstanding Delaware women from across various fields. From artists to athletes to community advocates and scientists, members represent diverse backgrounds.

Portraits in the Women's Hall of Fame Art Exhibition

“This exhibit is not just a bunch of pictures on a wall. It's an invitation to inspire the next generation,” said Wendy Smith, Dana J. Johnson Professor of Business and co-founder of UD’s Women’s Leadership Initiative.

"The Women’s Hall of Fame Art Exhibition underscores the importance of recognizing and celebrating the diverse accomplishments of Delaware’s women,” said Melanie Ross Levin, director of the Office of Women’s Advancement and Advocacy. “This collaboration with the University of Delaware provides a platform to honor the trailblazers who have shaped our state’s history and continue to inspire positive change in our communities.”

The 2023 honorees include two UD professors: Bonnie Meszaros, assistant professor of economics and associate director of the UD Center for Economics Education and Entrepreneurship; and Lynn Snyder-Mackler, a physical therapist and sports medicine researcher who was instrumental in making UD’s physical therapy graduate program the top-ranked program in the country. Other 2023 honorees include Patricia Dailey Lewis, CEO of the Beau Biden Foundation; Paulette Sullivan Moore, Delaware’s first African American female attorney; and Leslie Newman, former CEO of Children and Families First.

Past inductees include First Lady Jill Biden and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, both of whom are UD alumnae, as well as Emalea Pusey Warner, who successfully lobbied the State Legislature for funds to create the Women’s College at the University of Delaware; Winnifred J. Robinson, the first dean of UD’s Women’s College; and Mae Carter, founder of UD’s Office of Women’s Affairs.

“The lightbulb moment for so many women is that we don't see ourselves. Young girls don't see what they can be. There's just no narrative around what women have contributed to our society,” said Lynn Evans, director of UD’s Women’s Leadership Initiative. “The idea is that they should be seen and celebrated by the public.”

Applications for the 2024 Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame are open through March 28, 2024, and can be found at de.gov/women.

The Office of Women’s Advancement and Advocacy and the University of Delaware collaborated to organize the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame Art Exhibition. The exhibition receives support from the Delaware Department of Human Resources and the Delaware Women’s Hall of Fame Committee. Additional support is offered, in part, through a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.