Joan Anderson Meacham

Joan Meacham’s professional career included Registrar, Yale University Graduate School, New Haven, CT; Program Director of State Scholarships for Educational Testing Service of College Entrance Examination Board, Princeton NJ; and Associate Director of the New England Board of Higher Education located in Wellesley, MA during her tenure.

Within the last two decades she has dedicated her time and efforts to the expansion of women’s history and also served as an officer of several community service women’s organizations.  Her volunteer career included President, National Woman’s Party, Washington, DC, President, Cape May County (NJ) League of Women Voters (LWV), Vice President, Cape  May County Advisory Commission on the Status of Women, Founder and President, Cape Women’s Resource Fund, Cape May County.  Joan was a Co-founder and Secretary of the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites and also a Co-founder of the National Women’s History Museum, Washington, DC.  She was the First Vice President of this notable institution.

While President of a national celebration of the 75th anniversary of women suffrage in 1995, she coordinated a three day commemorative celebration in Washington, DC which included a re-enactment of a suffragist march, a symposium on the successful lobbying techniques of the suffragist leaders at the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, and a suffrage postage stamp reception at the Women of the Arts Museum.  She, along with women historians and activists, initiated national grassroots lobbying efforts to return the only suffrage monument in the country from the crypt of the US Capitol to the prestigious capitol rotunda.  After 5 years of lobbying and fund raising, and now as Co-Chair of the Woman Suffrage Statue Campaign, this monument was re-dedicated and moved to the rotunda in 1997.  The 72 year battle for women’s right to vote is honored by the three founders of the suffrage movement, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony.  This monument represents our foremothers who are now with our forefathers.

Following Joan’s physical move to Arizona and among other women’s history activities, she served as First Vice President of LWV, Arizona.  In 1999, and under the auspices of the National Women’s History Museum, she organized and chaired a gala reception and awards dinner for Arizona since the state had made history by electing all women to the top five elective offices in state government.  Currently, Joan is Co-Founder and Director of the Arizona Women’s Heritage Trail.  She resides in Rio Verde, AZ with her two Norwich terriers.

Joan Meacham, Co-Founder & Director of the Arizona Women’s Heritage Trail, was a featured guest on SouthwestBlend.com’s  ‘Champagne Sundays’ special ‘Southwest Women in History’ online Radio Show on Sunday, March 9^th, 2008. To listen to Joan’s interview, please double-click on the play button below.


 

For more about the Arizona Women’s Heritage Trail – Click Here.