Zora Neale Hurston, was Born into the all-black community of Eatonville, Zora Neale Hurston wrote literature of lasting merit, and yet died a pauper. She earned scholarships to Howard University in Washington and then to New York’s Barnard College, where she was the first African-American student.

Roxcy O’Neal Bolton, Born in Mississippi, of a pioneer settler family, is known as Florida’s Pioneer Feminist and the Founding Mother of Florida NOW.

Eartha Mary Magdalene White, The 13th child of a former slave, was born in Jacksonville. She attended several schools in Florida and in New York City.

Barbara Landstreet Frye, As the Capitol Bureau Chief for United Press International from 1944 to 1982, reported on Florida politics under 11 different governors.

Marilyn K. Smith, of Dade County, dedicated her life to enhancing the quality of Jewish life at the local, national and international levels. A native of Chicago, she attended the University of Miami.

Florence Barbara Seibert, A biochemist who developed the skin test that identifies tuberculosis, Dr. Florence Barbara Seibert made a vital contribution to global health. Prevailing over polio that crippled her as a child, she graduated from Goucher College in Baltimore, earned a doctorate from Yale University, and then did research at the University of Chicago and the University of Pennsylvania.

Arva Moore Parks, A lifelong Miami resident, she graduated from the University of Florida in 1960 and earned a master’s degree from the University of Miami in 1971. She is the author of more than a half-dozen books on South Florida, including Miami, the Magic City.

Elizabeth McCullough Johnson was the first woman in the Florida Senate. She was elected in 1962, following four years in the House. Born in Pennsylvania, she graduated from Vassar College and moved to Orlando in 1934.

Elsie Jones Hare, During a 30-year teaching career in the Florida Panhandle, she was an exceptional source of inspiration for students who lived in rural poverty. An accomplished musician and writer, she was educated at Huntington College in Alabama.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Known worldwide as an early environmentalist, she is recognized for her advocacy of Florida’s unique Everglades. A Massachusetts native, she graduated from Wellesley College in 1912 and moved to Miami in 1915 with her father, who published the newspaper that became the Miami Herald.