Alabama Women's Hall of Fame
Founded in 1970, the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame (AWHF) celebrates the lives and accomplishments of Alabama's most outstanding women. Hosted by the University of West Alabama in Livingston, Sumter County, the AWHF became a state agency by an act of the Alabama legislature in 1975. Inductees have included such notable Alabamians as environmentalist Mary Ivy Burks, disabilities rights and labor activist Helen Keller, educator and prison reformer Julia Tutwiler, actress Tallulah Bankhead, and civil rights icon Rosa Parks. The AWHF also includes women who have been overlooked but have contributed to the betterment of the state, the nation, and the world.
The organization was founded and originally housed at Judson College in Marion, Perry County, until it was moved to UWA in 2021 following the closure of Judson that year. While at Judson, the AWHF was housed in the Riddle Library until 1994, when it was relocated to A. Howard Bean Hall, which was originally built as a Carnegie Library at Judson; it remained there until the closure of Judson College.
The purpose of the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame is to recognize the outstanding contributions of the women of Alabama to the state, the nation, and the world. Each woman is honored with a bronze plaque that contains her likeness and lists her accomplishments. The plaque is unveiled at the induction ceremony after a brief description of each inductee's life and their contributions to their communities and beyond. To be considered for induction, a woman must be deceased for two years and have been born in, or done the bulk of their work, in Alabama.
The Hall of Fame is governed by a self-perpetuating board of directors composed of 11 members. At least one member is chosen from each of the following fields: politics, art, education, business, law, community service, medicine, religion, and science. Members of the board serve three-year terms, may be re-elected, and are not compensated. Alabama's governor and the president of the University of West Alabama also serve on the board. The board elects an executive secretary who serves, at the pleasure of the board, as a nonvoting member. The board meets semiannually and at other times as its rules and bylaws may prescribe. A quorum of five members of the board must be present for business to be conducted. The board fills vacancies as they occur and has the full and final right of choosing succeeding members.
Anyone can nominate a candidate for induction by completing the nomination form found on the AWHF website; nominations are due by August 15 each year. All nominations are carefully reviewed by the board, and one to three inductees are chosen by unanimous vote of the board, though custom dictates that in most years, two inductees are chosen. Individuals may be nominated up to three times. Additional supporting information may be added to a nomination at any time.
The AWHF is an agency of the state of Alabama and generally receives a small appropriation from the state each year. Additional support is provided by the University of West Alabama and by donations from the public.
