TWU Center for Women in Government

Are you interested in running for office or getting involved in electoral politics? Don’t miss your chance to apply for the CWG’s Reimbursement Funding Award for the LBJ Women’s Campaign School. Interested in learning more? Join us on September 10 and September 28 to connect with CWG and LBJWCS staff and discuss the application process before the application deadline on September 30, 2026. Sign up for these info sessions using the link in our bio or at https://conta.cc/4zaxlgw. We hope to see you there!

Happy Birthday to Janet Yellen (August 13th 1946) 🎉

Yellen was born in New York and is a graduate of Brown University (1967) and Yale University (1971). At Yale, Yellen was the only woman in her class of 24 economics PhD students. Prior to beginning her career at the Federal Reserve in 1977, she was a professor at Harvard University. In 2013, Yellen was appointed Chair of the Federal Reserve, and in 2021, she was appointed Secretary of the Treasury by President Joe Biden. Yellen was the first woman to serve in both roles.

Applications for the LBJ Women’s Campaign School and the CWG Reimbursement Funding Award are now open! The CWG Reimbursement Funding Award is a competitive award covering 100% of tuition for the LBJ Women’s Campaign School. Apply by September 30 to be considered. Interested in learning more about the application process? Sign up for the CWG info sessions at https://conta.cc/4zaxlgw or visit https://twu.edu/center-women-government/lbj-womens-campaign-school/.

August History Highlight 📜

On August 11, 1941, Elizabeth Holtzman was born. In 1972, Holtzman was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives at the age of 31, becoming the youngest woman elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives at the time. She held this record for 40 years before Congresswoman Elise Stefanik was elected in 2014. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez now holds the record for the youngest woman elected to Congress following her election in 2018 at 29 years old.

Do you want to run for office or manage a campaign?

Applications for the LBJ Women’s Campaign School 2027 Cohort are now open! Join a community of bold leaders and learn from some the nation’s top political experts. Build the skills and gain the political know-how to run for office and manage a winning campaign. Take the next step in your leadership journey today! 🤘

Apply now: https://apply.lbj.utexas.edu/apply/

On this day, August 10, 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was sworn in as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, becoming the second woman to serve on the nation's highest court. Nominated by President Bill Clinton, Ginsburg brought decades of experience advocating for gender equality and equal protection under the law to the Supreme Court.

Before her appointment, Ginsburg was a leading attorney in the fight for women's rights and co-founded the Women's Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, where she argued several landmark cases before the Supreme Court. Her legal work helped challenge discriminatory laws and expand protections against sex-based discrimination.

During her 27 years on the Court, Justice Ginsburg became known for her commitment to equality that inspired generations of advocates. Her legacy continues to shape conversations surrounding justice, representation, and the pursuit of equal rights.

Help us give a warm welcome to the Sue S. Bancroft Women’s Leadership Hall’s new Curator and Manager of Gallery Operations, Kendall Ferguson. Kendall is an alumna of Howard University and a dedicated museum professional with curatorial and public art experience. We are so excited to have her on the team!

The CWG is proud to sponsor TWU students for internships in the Texas Capitol and on Capitol Hill! Applications for the CWG’s Legislative Internships, Austin and Washington, D.C., are now open. Visit https://twu.edu/center-women-government/internships-fellowships/ to learn more and get started. This is your chance to impact policy and see firsthand how a bill becomes a law!

On this day, August 5, 1943, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) were established to fill a need for more pilots during World War II. WASPs combined two groups of women pilots, the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron and Women’s Flying Training Detachment. Following its establishment, the WASPs received over 25,000 applications from women across the country. The women in this unit flew a majority of military aircraft in the Army Air Forces’ arsenal and collectively flew more than 60 million miles.

Despite their historic accomplishment, the WASPs were not recognized for their service or granted full veteran status until 1977 due to the women’s civilian status at the time and political debates about women’s place in the military.

TWU’s library is the official WASP Archive collection in the country. To learn more about the archive, visit https://twu.edu/library/womans-collection/collections/women-airforce-service-pilots-official-archive/.