The first female to be “governor” was Carolyn B. Shelton. In 1909, she was Oregon’s Governor Chamberlain 's private secretary and when he had to leave for Washington DC to become US Senator, he put her in charge of the state as Acting-Governor. She held the position just over the weekend.
The first woman to actually carry out the duties as Acting-Governor was New Mexico Secretary of State Soledad Chacon. In 1924, Governor Hickle left the state to go to New York and as the Lieutenant Governor had died previously Chacon was fully the Acting-Governor during his absence.
I have to mention Jeanette Rankin, the first female US congressperson and a true pacifist. She is from my home state of Montana.
“No history of American representative government could properly be written without a major reference to Representative Jeannette Rankin. The Montana Republican carries the distinction of being the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress. That singular event occurred in 1916. A year later, she earned a second distinction by joining 49 of her House colleagues in voting against U.S. entry into World War I. That vote destroyed her prospects for reelection in 1918.”
She also voted against WW2. The only Congressperson to vote against both wars.
As I mentioned, a true pacifist.
Don’t know where else to put this. It’s a study showing which countries do well or are improving with regards to certain women’s issues. I apologize if it is not as requested, but it is an important centred story.
December 2022 was the first time US currency was issued with the signatures of two women - Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Treasurer Chief Lynn Malerba. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/08/business/janet-yellen-signature-dollar.html
Caitlin Clark, NCAA basketball player for Iowa, recently became the NCAA Div 1’s all-time leading scorer, among both men and women.