Mrs. Ford. I don’t know the lady’s first name. She taught junior high school english to my older brother and sister, and ten years later when I came along, she was still at it. She was old school, something of a pedant, but I found her classes enjoyable. A sweet lady who cared about the kids and the subject, it showed in the classroom.
For some reason I read: ‘it snowed in the classroom’.
chilly.
See ? THIS is why I love the SDMB so much 
For some reason Lauren Hutton comes to mind, but I’m not sure.
Congresswoman Julia Carson, D-IN. She’s a woman of great courage. She speaks her mind without worrying about attacks from the opposition. If she were a man, I’d say this differently, but she’s got OVARIES. Oh, by the way, almost all of Julia’s beauty is inner.
A lot of good names here that I share admiration for, but I wanted to plug one in I haven’t seen yet:
She is by far my favorite author of history. I wish I could write history as easy to read and insightful as she did. I miss her, and wish she could have lived a couple extra hundred years to write more.
Lindsey Davis for writing great stories.
WORD. Big fat word.
Margaret Sanger who established the first birth control in clinic in the United States in 1916
Labor activist Mary “Mother” Jones, who crusaded against child labor and unsafe, exploitative working conditions.
Pauli Murray, civil rights activist, author and the first African American woman to be ordained as an Episcopal priest. Not nearly as well-known as she should be.
Alice Paul, an early 20th century woman suffragist. She was one of the leaders of the National Women’s Party. Paul, along with other suffragists, was verbally and physically attacked and was sentenced to 7 months in prison for picketing the White House (although she only served for 5 weeks). If it hadn’t been for 20th century activists like Paul, the work of Anthony and Stanton would have foundered.
In a similar vein, Gertrude Weil, the foremost leader of the woman suffrage movement in North Carolina. Though she wasn’t as militant as Paul, demanding votes for women in 1912 North Carolina took guts a-plenty.
All five of these women have made the U.S. a better place for all of us. Thank you, ladies.
My Friend Chris who is going to be a stem cell donor for her sister in Germany who has leukemia. She will fly over there at her own expense for a minimum of 10 days for the procedure.
Any donor is a hero to me.
Well rats, I did this once already and lost my reply…so here I go again
To the OP, I have to say my list for women would be as long as my list for men therefore I’m only going to go the excerpt route and try to avoid some that have been previously mentioned. Lots of them on the list are Canadian, though, so not everyone may be familiar with them…
Literary (only going with a short list) and the Arts:
Jane Austen
The Bronte sisters, particularly Emily
Mary Shelley
Christina Rossetti
Dorothy Sayers because who couldn’t love Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane
Agatha Christie for creating accessible and popular mysteries
Janet Evanovich because she’s funny and I adore Ranger
Margaret Atwood in my opinion this goes without saying
Ann-Marie Macdonald okay well I just finished reading The Way the Crow Flies all 800 pages of it in one day
Emily Carr Canadian artist
Maud Lewis, another Canadian artist - sorry, can’t find a link
Elizabeth George who writes really dense mysteries
Lucy Maud Montgomery for Anne of Green Gables
Political/Head of State:
Nellie McClung and the rest of The Famous Five for their advancement of women’s rights in Canada
Elizabeth I
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother for her humour and her steadfastness during WWII
Adrienne Clarkson, the Governor General of Canada (okay, she’s expensive but I admire her commitment to the country and to the arts)
Aline Chretien the former Prime Minister’s wife because of the story that in Canada our Head of Government’s security relies on his wife being a light sleeper. Okay, she confronted an intruder to the official residence late at night at 24 Sussex Drive that had gotten thorugh security. Made for a good bit on This Hour Has 22 Minutes (see Mary Walsh below).
Journalism:
Barbara Frum though her “go for the throat” style sometimes went over the top
Pamela Wallin well I am from Saskatchewan after all
Scientific:
Roberta Bondar the first female Canadian astronaut who is also fascinating to hear speak
Legal:
Current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada Beverly McLachlin for being there first.
Bertha Wilson former Justice on the Supreme Court for being willing to go in her own direction
Former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Louise Arbour for her work while appointed by the Security Council of the United Nations as Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda.
Current Justice on the Supreme Court of Canada Rosalie Abella for her commitment to human rights
Movies and Television:
Mary Walsh and Cathy Jones for This Hour Has 22 Minutes
Judi Dench for both television and movies
Linda Schuyler, creative force behind all the Degrassi television series
Starting to quite admire Teri Hatcher for her comedic role on Desperate Housewives
Lauren Bacall (“You know how to whistle don’t you, put your lips together and blow”)
Katherine Hepburn - pretty much a given
Renee Zellwegger for being a better Bridget Jones than I expected
Rene Russo just because
Music: (going Canadian again…)
Joni Mitchell
Sarah McLachlan
Diana Krall
Loreena McKennitt
(note I didn’t include Celine Dion or Shania Twain though I could have for their ability to be, um, popular?)
Okay well going to stop now, though I could carry on for quite some time…