Officials with The Iowa Commission on the Status of Women, Tuesday, announced four women will be inducted into the 2021 Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame inductees. The 2021 Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame honorees include Donna Reed, from Denison. Reed was an actress, Academy Award Winner, Advocate for Peace. Donna Reed is celebrated for her successful career in entertainment, and as a trailblazer for women in television, as well as a humanitarian who advocated for social justice and world peace. Posthumous Award (January 27, 1921-January 14, 1986).

Actress Donna Reed

The other inductees are:

• Dr. Roxann Marie Ryan, Ph.D. (Cresco, IA): Former Iowa Commissioner of Public Safety, Assistant Iowa Attorney General, Educator & Scholar.  Dr. Ryan is noted for her vast contributions in academia, groundbreaking work in public service, and celebrated leadership among students, colleagues, and citizens across the country.
• Cornelia Clark (Grinnell, IA):  Nature Photographer, Academic Contributor, Book Illustrator.  Cornelia Clark’s photographic legacy appeared in children’s books, scientific journals, newspapers, science magazines and encyclopedias all throughout the nation. Posthumous Award (1884-1936)
• Jan Mitchell (Des Moines, IA):  Educator, 1997 Iowa Teacher of the Year, 2019 Iowa Latino Hall of Fame Robert D Ray Award for Equity and Justice recipient. Over the course of her career, Jan Mitchell has been instrumental in assisting the education and social mobilization of hundreds of Iowa’s Latina students, championing women’s rights, and prioritizing service-led compassion into her work with the community.
  To highlight women’s heritage and recognize their important contributions to society, the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women established the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame in 1975. Each subsequent year, the Commission and the Iowa Department of Human Rights welcome four women into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame, paying tribute to them and setting them forth as role models for others.

As of 2021, 188 women will have been inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame. For more information about the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame, visit the Iowa Department of Human Rights’ website on the Office on the Status of Women. In lieu of an in-person ceremony, the Commission will honor inductees in a virtual ceremony.  Details and dates of this ceremony will be announced later this month.