Societal Breakthroughs

The messages in this area focus on changes in society that are not often thought about.

    • Opening Up the Little League to Girls

      Maria Pepe had grown up playing streetball with the boys in her neighborhood. So when she became old enough to try out for the Little League, there was no question that she would make the team. The year was 1972, and the place was Hoboken, NJ. Maria was a pitcher and...

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    • Scientific Boxing

      If you have seen any of the Rocky movies, you might remember how Rocky prepared in the gym. He would bob and weave as if he were actually fighting. He would pummel a heavy bag with punches. He would punch a smaller bag with incredibly quick hands. Those watching a...

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    • Rock and Roll

      It’s a song that few of us have ever heard, but it ushered in a change in American society. Rocket 88 is considered by many to be the first rock and roll song. It was released in 1951. It’s a song of praise to the Oldsmobile Rocket 88 vehicle. What is it about this...

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    • Political Advertising

      Rosser Reaves was born in 1910 in Virginia. His father was a Methodist minister. Rosser was an indifferent student who was expelled from the University of Virginia for crashing a friend’s car when he was drunk. It was the Prohibition Era. In fact, Rosser was drunk...

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    • Federal Elections

      The second Tuesday of November in even number years has become known as Election Day in the United States. But that has not always been the case. States were initially given a 34-day window to select Presidential electors. The deadline for the selection of electors...

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    • Equal Access to Education

      Levi Pearson wasn’t asking for much when he wrote to the school superintendent Roderick Elliott. He just asked that his children be able to ride a school bus rather than walking 9 miles to school one way. He was denied because African American citizens didn’t pay...

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    • A New Career Path for Women

      Katherine (Ryan) Gibbs was born in 1863 into a wealthy family. She received a cultural education from two aunts. When visiting her brother in Montana, she fell in love and married a watchmaker by the name of William Gibbs. Her husband died when she was 46. He left no...

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    • Being Humane

      Henry Dunant grew up in a family known for its civically-minded humanitarian work in Geneva, Switzerland. His father worked to improve the lives of orphans and ex-prisoners. His mother worked with those dealing with illness and poverty. This family's focus on social...

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    • Federal Hate Crimes Legislation

      James Byrd, Jr. was a married African American with three children who sold vacuum cleaners. Needing a ride, he got in a car driven by a local man who he knew. Two other men were in the car. James asked for a ride to his home, but he was taken to a remote area out of...

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    • The Bandwagon Effect

      Dan McLaren was born in New York City in 1823. He would change his name to Dan Rice as he became an entertainer. His uncle was the ringleader in a circus and Dan joined him. He traveled with the circus and at age 18 became a performer. He was innovative and originated...

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