Linda K Kerber

Preeminent among historians of her generation, Dr. Linda K. Kerber has devoted her life and career to the empowerment of women through a better understanding of women's history. The first professor of women's history at the University of Iowa in 1971, she became a catalyst for transforming the way scholars and students look at the contributions of women to society. As a humanist scholar, Kerber is an authority on American history and women's studies, achieving international distinction for her contributions to our understanding of gender, citizenship, and the legal and political status of women.

Kerber has received many awards and honors, including becoming a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the American Philosophical Society, the oldest learned society in the United States. She is one of the few scholars to have held the top leadership positions in the three major professional organizations in her field – the American Historical Association, the American Studies Association, and the Organization of American Historians. In addition to her scholarly work, she is a civil rights activist, political advocate, and mentor to countless women.

Born in 1940 in New York, Kerber received a B.A. from Barnard College (1960), an M.A. from New York University (1961) and her Ph.D. from Columbia University (1968). She was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 2009.

Sources:

American Historical Association (n.d.). “Linda K. Kerber Biography American Historical Association. Retrieved November 28, 2022. https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/presidential-addresses/linda-k-kerber/linda-k-kerber-biography

Harvard Radcliff Institute (n.d.). “Linda K. Kerber” Harvard Radcliff Institute. Retrieved November 28, 2022. https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/people/linda-k-kerber

Iowa Department of Human Rights (n.d.). “Linda K. Kerber” Iowa Department of Human Rights. Retrieved November 28, 2022. https://humanrights.iowa.gov/linda-k-kerber

The University of Iowa (n.d.). “Linda K. Kerber” The University of Iowa. Retrieved November 28, 2022. https://clas.uiowa.edu/history/people/linda-k-kerber