The Climber

The Climber

She climbed the highest peak in more than seventy countries by then. She led forty-four all-female mountaineering expeditions around the world. Somewhere in the sky above us, an asteroid bears the number she was assigned when astronomers named it in her honor. Pluto, the farthest thing we can reach from where she was born in that small printing family in northern Japan, a mountain range carries her name. So, Who is She? is about telling the stories of women the world forgot to mention and whose accomplishments were buried, forgotten or lost. This episode will feature one woman’s amazing story. Be sure to listen to the end where I will reveal her name. Episode References 1. Japan Society Boston , Junko Tabei Biography https://www.japansocietyboston.org/post/junko-tabei [https://www.japansocietyboston.org/post/junko-tabei] 2. The Conversation,  50 Years Since Tabei's Everest Summit https://theconversation.com/fifty-years-ago-junko-tabei-became-the-first-woman-to-summit-everest-why-do-so-few-people-know-her-story-248800 [https://theconversation.com/fifty-years-ago-junko-tabei-became-the-first-woman-to-summit-everest-why-do-so-few-people-know-her-story-248800] 3. Outside Online, Final Interview with Junko Tabei https://www.outsideonline.com/2252936/junko-tabei-anniversary [https://www.outsideonline.com/2252936/junko-tabei-anniversary] 4. National Geographic, Obituary https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/first-woman-to-climb-everest-junko-tabei-dies [https://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/article/first-woman-to-climb-everest-junko-tabei-dies] 5. Sports Illustrated Vault 1996 https://vault.si.com/vault/1996/04/29/no-mountain-too-high-for-her-junko-tabei-defied-japanese-views-of-women-to-become-an-expert-climber [https://vault.si.com/vault/1996/04/29/no-mountain-too-high-for-her-junko-tabei-defied-japanese-views-of-women-to-become-an-expert-climber] 6. Carryology, The Life of Junko Tabei https://www.carryology.com/insights/insights-1/the-life-of-junko-tabei-from-everest-to-pluto/ [https://www.carryology.com/insights/insights-1/the-life-of-junko-tabei-from-everest-to-pluto/] 7. Explorer's Web, 50th Anniversary https://explorersweb.com/50-years-ago-junko-tabei-became-the-first-woman-to-summit-everest/ [https://explorersweb.com/50-years-ago-junko-tabei-became-the-first-woman-to-summit-everest/] 8. Yahoo Sports, Changed the Game  https://sports.yahoo.com/changed-the-game-junko-tabei-the-first-woman-to-ascend-everest-quietly-moved-mountains-for-womens-rights-125002567.html [https://sports.yahoo.com/changed-the-game-junko-tabei-the-first-woman-to-ascend-everest-quietly-moved-mountains-for-womens-rights-125002567.html] 9. Gripped Magazine, 50th Anniversary https://gripped.com/profiles/50-years-ago-junko-tabei-became-first-woman-to-climb-everest/ [https://gripped.com/profiles/50-years-ago-junko-tabei-became-first-woman-to-climb-everest/] 10. Rejected Princesses ,Junko Tabei   https://www.rejectedprincesses.com/blog/modern-worthies/junko-tabei [https://www.rejectedprincesses.com/blog/modern-worthies/junko-tabei]   11. Nippon.com ,Tohoku Youth Fuji Program   https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g02343/ [https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g02343/] 12. Alpinist ,Obituary  https://alpinist.com/newswire/junko-tabei-first-woman-to-summit-everest-dies-at-77 [https://alpinist.com/newswire/junko-tabei-first-woman-to-summit-everest-dies-at-77] 13. NPR ,Obituary  https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/10/22/498971169/japanese-climber-junko-tabei-first-woman-to-conquer-mount-everest-dies-at-77 [https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/10/22/498971169/japanese-climber-junko-tabei-first-woman-to-conquer-mount-everest-dies-at-77] 14. Women in Exploration ,Junko Tabei Timeline  https://womeninexploration.org/timeline/junko-tabei/ [https://womeninexploration.org/timeline/junko-tabei/] 15. Tranquil Kilimanjaro ,Seven Summits  https://www.tranquilkilimanjaro.com/junko-tabei-the-first-woman-to-summit-mount-everest/ [https://www.tranquilkilimanjaro.com/junko-tabei-the-first-woman-to-summit-mount-everest/]

Astrologer

What makes her story truly remarkable isn't just what she accomplished. It's how she accomplished it. She did it as a woman in an era when women weren't supposed to run businesses. When women weren't supposed to break engagements or question authority or fight in court. She did it while being arrested, while being called a fraud, while facing constant scrutiny and resistance. So, Who is She? is about telling the stories of women the world forgot to mention and whose accomplishments were buried, forgotten or lost. This episode will feature one woman’s amazing story. Be sure to listen to the end where I will reveal her name. Sources Encyclopedia.com — Adams, Evangeline Smith [https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/adams-evangeline-smith-mrs-george-e-jordon-jr-1859-1933] — Comprehensive biographical entry with key life dates, achievements, and historical context. Wikipedia — Evangeline Adams [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangeline_Smith_Adams] — Overview of her life, career, legal cases, and critical reception of her predictions. Karen Christino's Biography Website [https://karenchristino.com/evangeline-adams/] — Author of the definitive biography shares research notes, photos, and commentary on Adams's life and work. Jersey City: The Birthplace of American Astrology — Hoboken Girl [https://www.hobokengirl.com/evangeline-adams-american-astrology-jersey-city/] — Engaging narrative about Adams's Jersey City origins, her rise, her influence on Wall Street, and her legacy in astrology. The Stars on Trial: Evangeline Adams and the Legal Fate of Fortune Telling [https://www.juliettegordonlowbirthplace.org/en/blog/evangeline-adams-and-the-legal-fate-of-fortune-telling.html] — In-depth analysis of her 1914 trial, the legal arguments, and the historic precedent it set for astrology practice. Evangeline Adams: The Mother of Astrology in America — Wyrd Books [https://www.wyrdbooks.co.uk/evangeline-adams-mother-astrology-america/] — Narrative overview of her rise during the Gilded Age and her influence on American culture. Evangeline Adams, Astrology, and the Professions of the Future — Yale History of Science & Medicine [https://hshm.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/2014-levine.pdf] — Academic paper examining her role in legitimizing astrology as a profession and her strategic use of scientific language. UB researcher explores astrological speculation and capitalism in Gilded Age America — University at Buffalo [https://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2026/02/tirado-bramen-astrological-speculation.html] — Scholarly research on the entanglement of astrology and market prediction in early 20th-century America. PBS — The Crash of 1929 Program Transcript [https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/media/pdf/transcript/Crash_of_1929_transcript.pdf] — Historical account of her role in stock market predictions leading up to 1929 crash. Who Predicted World War II? She Did — The Psychic Power Network [https://www.psychicpowernetwork.com/2016/06/predicted-world-war-ii/] — Documentation of her early war predictions and the Windsor Hotel fire story with historical context. The Stock Market Crash of 1929 – Part 1: To The Moon! — Conflicted History [https://www.conflictedhistory.com/the-stock-market-crash-of-1929-part-1-to-the-moon/] — Historical narrative of her advisory role to wealthy investors and her failed pre-crash predictions. Judge Freschi and Evangeline Adams — Karen Christino [https://karenchristino.com/judge-freschi-and-evangeline-adams/] — Detailed analysis of Judge John J. Freschi's decision and why he sided with Adams in her 1914 trial. The Biography of Evangeline Adams — Explore Astrology [https://www.exploreastrology.co.uk/thebiographyofevangelineadams.html] — Comprehensive biographical overview covering her early life, career milestones, arrests, and legacy. Evangeline Adams (astrologer) — Grokipedia [https://grokipedia.com/page/Evangeline_Adams] — Detailed reference entry with emphasis on her early life in Andover, her mentors, and historical context. Foreseeing the Future: Evangeline Adams and Astrology in America — Ellis Nelson [https://ellisnelson.com/2023/08/03/foreseeing-the-future-evangeline-adams-and-astrology-in-america/] — Book review and summary of Christino's definitive biography, with analysis of her business model and self-promotion.

Defier

Have you ever been told you couldn’t do something? She was told time and time again that she could not, should not, will not, but she did not let that stop her. She chartered a bank, launched a boycott, scared some powerful men and then designed her own wheelchair! She didn’t do some things, she did everything! So, Who is She? is about telling the stories of women the world forgot to mention and whose accomplishments were buried, forgotten or lost. This episode will feature one woman’s amazing story. Be sure to listen to the end where I will reveal her name. References for story: National Park Service * Biography of Maggie L. Walker [https://www.nps.gov/places/biography-of-maggie-l-walker.htm] * Memorable Quotes from Maggie L. Walker [https://www.nps.gov/mawa/learn/historyculture/memorable-quotes-from-maggie-l-walker.htm] * Russell E.T. Walker [https://www.nps.gov/people/russell-e-t-walker.htm] * Armstead Walker [https://www.nps.gov/people/armstead-walker.htm] State & Regional History * Encyclopedia Virginia — Maggie Lena Walker (1864–1934) [https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/walker-maggie-lena-1864-1934/] * Encyclopedia Virginia — Richmond Colored Normal School [https://encyclopediavirginia.org/7893hpr-f8c9d3b79fd3eec/] * Virginia Museum of History & Culture — Maggie Lena Walker [https://virginiahistory.org/learn/maggie-lena-walker] * Virginia Museum of History & Culture — Jim Crow to Civil Rights in Virginia [https://virginiahistory.org/learn/jim-crow-civil-rights-virginia] * Library of Virginia — Dictionary of Virginia Biography [https://old.lva.virginia.gov/public/dvb/bio.asp?b=Walker_Maggie_Lena] * Library of Virginia — Virginia Changemakers: Maggie Lena Walker [https://www.lva.virginia.gov/collections/educator-resources/changemakers/items/show/104] Banking & Economic History * Library of Congress — First Black Woman to Charter a Bank [https://guides.loc.gov/this-month-in-business-history/november/maggie-l-walker-first-black-woman-to-charter-a-bank] * FDIC — Maggie Lena Walker: America's National Treasure in Banking [https://www.fdic.gov/minority-depository-institutions-program/maggie-lena-walker-americas-national-treasure-banking] * Federal Reserve — St. Luke Penny Savings Bank [https://www.fedpartnership.gov/minority-banking-timeline/st-luke] * Harvard Business School — Maggie Lena Walker and the Independent Order of St. Luke [https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=36630] Fraternal Order * National Museum of African American History & Culture — Independent Order of St. Luke [https://www.searchablemuseum.com/independent-order-of-st-luke/] * Britannica — Independent Order of St. Luke [https://www.britannica.com/topic/Independent-Order-of-St-Luke] Journalism & Media History * The UncommonWealth (Library of Virginia) — Banker, Editor, Activist, Woman: Maggie Walker's St. Luke Herald [https://uncommonwealth.lva.virginia.gov/blog/2023/10/23/st-luke-herald/] Women's Suffrage & Civil Rights * National Women's History Museum — Biography [https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/maggie-lena-walker] * Liberty University Digital Commons — Black Women and the Suffrage Movement [https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/ljh/vol7/iss3/3/] * Power in Place Project — Maggie Lena Walker: Financial Pioneer, Suffragist, and Advocate [https://powerinplaceproject.com/news/2026/1/27/maggie-lena-walker-financial-pioneer-suffragist-and-advocate] General Biography * Biography.com — Maggie Lena Walker [https://www.biography.com/business-leaders/maggie-lena-walker] * PBS American Masters — Civil Rights Activist and Entrepreneur [https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/civil-right-activist-maggie-lena-walker-75lx9t/13814/] Virtual Tour * Google Arts & Culture — In Her Footsteps: A Virtual Tour of Maggie L. Walker's Home [https://artsandculture.google.com/story/in-her-footsteps-a-virtual-tour-of-maggie-l-walker-s-home-maggie-l-walker-national-historic-site/8AXR_Z9D-zGYLw?hl=en]

The Doctor

For nearly a century, this doctor kept a secret. Had anyone found out, jail would have been certain and a lifetime of accomplishments would have been wiped away. Accomplishments that included a groundbreaking caesarean section and decades of public health reform across the British Empire. This doctor proved, by simply doing the work, that every argument ever made for keeping women out of medicine was fiction. Not a matter of opinion. The proof is in the surgeries performed, the lives saved, the hospitals transformed, the water supply improved, the patients who went home when they would otherwise have died. So, Who is She? is about telling the stories of women the world forgot to mention and whose accomplishments were buried, forgotten or lost. This episode will feature one woman’s amazing story. Be sure to listen to the end where I will reveal their name. References for Episode: * James Barry (surgeon) — Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Barry_(surgeon)] * The Extraordinary Secret Life of Dr. James Barry — HISTORY [https://www.history.com/articles/the-extraordinary-secret-life-of-dr-james-barry] * The Extraordinary Life of Margaret Ann Bulkley aka Dr James Barry — Guide London [https://www.guidelondon.org.uk/blog/museums-galleries/margaret-ann-bulkley-aka-dr-james-barry/] * Margaret Ann Bulkley (James Barry) — Embryo Project Encyclopedia, ASU [https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/margaret-ann-bulkley-james-barry-17891865] * James Barry — University of Edinburgh College of Medicine [https://medicine-vet-medicine.ed.ac.uk/about/history/historic-alumni/james-barry] * How History Keeps Ignoring James Barry — Science History Institute [https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/how-history-keeps-ignoring-james-barry/] * Why This Groundbreaking British Doctor Was Almost Erased From the History Books — Atlas Obscura [https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/dr-james-barry-gender] * Dr James Barry: The surgeon defying gender norms — Thackray Museum of Medicine [https://thackraymuseum.co.uk/dr-james-barry-the-surgeon-defying-gender-norms/] * James Barry: The Girl Who Became a Man, Fought with Florence Nightingale — War History Online [https://www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/james-barry-the-girl.html] * Dr James Barry — The National Archives [https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/dr-james-barry/] * A Surgeon and a Gentleman: The Life of James Barry — Hektoen International [https://hekint.org/2020/04/03/a-surgeon-and-a-gentleman-the-life-of-james-barry/] * Ghost That Lingers: Dr James Barry and Lord Charles Somerset — Chavonnes Battery Museum [https://www.chavonnesbattery.co.za/blog/post/the-ghost-that-lingers/] * Breaking Barriers, Bending Gender: The Remarkable Tale of Dr James Barry — PAJT [https://www.pajtcces.com/abstractArticleContentBrowse/PAJT/35883/JPJ/fullText] * Herstory: James Barry — RTÉ Culture [https://www.rte.ie/culture/herstory/2020/0127/1111232-herstory-james-barry/]

Pharoah

Fourteen centuries before Cleopatra, she was one of the first female pharaohs, not queen, not regent, Pharaoh. She proved something that wasn’t supposed to be possible, women could be Pharaohs. So, Who is She? is about telling the stories of women the world forgot to mention and whose accomplishments were buried, forgotten or lost. This episode will feature one woman’s amazing story. Be sure to listen to the end where I will reveal her name. Episode References: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hatshepsut [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hatshepsut] https://www.worldhistory.org/hatshepsut/ [https://www.worldhistory.org/hatshepsut/] https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/hatshepsut [https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/biography/hatshepsut] https://www.history.com/articles/hatshepsut [https://www.history.com/articles/hatshepsut] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatshepsut [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatshepsut] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deir_el-Bahari [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deir_el-Bahari] Reference on relations: Thutmose I (Father/Pharaoh) and Ahmes (Mother/Queen) of She Thutmose I and other wife (Mother) of Thutmose II (son) Thutmose II (Father/Pharaoh) and She (Mother/Queen) of Neferua (Daughter) Thurmose II (Father/Pharah) and other wife (Mother) of Thutmose III (son) Thutmose III (co-Pharaoh) and Neferua (Queen)