Library Guides: Biographies: Women

Online Resources

Collective Biographies of Women
Includes thousands of women whose lives were documented in collections of biographies such as Notable Women in History. Coverage is 1830-1940.

Encyclopedia of Women's Autobiography by Victoria Boynton and Jo Malin
Call Number: HQ1185 E63 2005 (Tier 2 - Reference Collection)
Only available in print. 2 volume set. Overviews women autobiographers and autobiography from the Middle Ages to the present. Entries discuss individual writers, major works, national and ethnic autobiographical traditions, particular autobiographical genres, and special terms, issues, and themes related to women's autobiography from around the world.

First Ladies Gallery
Hosted by the White House, this Web site has biographies of all U.S. president's wives.

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History by Bonnie G. Smith
Publication Date: 2008
4 volume set. Provides over 650 biographies of influential women and over 600 topical articles.
Women Screenwriters by Jill Nelmes and Jule Selbo (editors)
Publication Date: 2015
Women Screenwriters is a study of more than 300 female writers from 60 nations, from the first film scenarios produced in 1986 to the present day. Divided into six sections by continent, the entries give an overview of the history of women screenwriters in each country, as well as individual biographies of its most influential.

Autumn Stanley

Autumn Stanley Papers (Available in the ISU Library Special Collections, see MS-659)

These papers document her research in women's history and women in science and technology. The collection includes biographical information on Autumn Stanley, correspondence, manuscripts, and subject files. The majority of the collection relates to Stanley's book Mothers and Daughters of Invention, including manuscripts, research correspondence, notes, and copies of source materials.

Mothers and Daughters of Invention by Autumn Stanley
Call Number: T36 S73 1993 (General Collection and Special Collections)
Publication Date: 1994
Stanley traces women's inventions in: agriculture, medicine, reproduction, machines, and computers--from prehistory (or origin) forward, profiling hundreds of women, both famous and obscure. She contributes a paradigm for male takeovers of technologies originated by women.

Women in Science

A to Z of Women in Science and Math by Lisa Yount
Call Number: Q141 .Y675 2008 (Parks Library - Tier 1)
Publication Date: 2007
This book profiles 195 women. Indexes allow the reader to search by profession, country of birth, country of major scientific activity, and year of birth.
Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science
Call Number: Q141 B5285 2000 (Tier 2 - Reference Collection)
Publication Date: 2000
This 2 volume set combines "facts-fronted" fast access to biographical details with highly readable accounts and analyses of nearly 3000 scientists' lives, works, and accomplishments.
International Encyclopedia of Women Scientists by Elizabeth H. Oakes
Call Number: Q141 .O27 2002 (Tier 2 - Reference Collection)
Publication Date: 2001
International Women in Science by Catharine M. C. Haines
Call Number: Q141 H2167 2001
Publication Date: 2001
Provides a list of women scientists by specialty, and a comprehensive index. Each entry contains a full bibliography.