The Rest of the West: Wyoming Women’s Political History with Virginia Scharff

Although Wyoming calls itself “The Equality State,” Wyoming women have repeatedly had to fight for their rights, and their struggles have been complicated, to say the least. In this lecture, Virginia Scharff - Professor of History and Director of the Center for the Southwest at the University of New Mexico - will tell four stories that reveal both women’s courage and determination to defend and expand democracy, and the sometimes unexpected and contradictory motives and consequences of their actions. Topics will range from 1869 territorial establishment of women’s voting rights to Governor Nellie Tayloe Ross and Representative Liz Cheney. This free event is part of The Rest of the West Series co-presented by Teton County Library and History Jackson Hole and has been made possible with partial funding by Wyoming Humanities and Teton County Library Foundation.

Virginia Scharff has always been fascinated by the history of American women. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Scharff was among the first female graduates of Yale. She has graduate degrees from U.C. Berkeley, the University of Wyoming, and the University of Arizona. She has lived all over the West, but currently resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her partner, the historian Chris Wilson. She is an Emeritus Distinguished Professor of History and former Director of the Center for the Southwest at the University of New Mexico, as well as the author of several books. Learn more about her work at VirginiaScharff.com.