RIP: Lansing's 'Rosie the Riveter' - symbol of women's empowerment - dies at age 86

from theblogprof by The blogprof


RIP: Lansing's 'Rosie the Riveter' - symbol of women's empowerment - dies at age 86: "Even if it was before your time, like it was mine, you will recognize this:

The face of Rosie was one Geraldine Hoff Doyle of Lansing, Michigan, who passed away at the age of 86. From the Lansing State Journal:

...Doyle was 86 upon her death, a lifetime older than the 17-year-old factory worker who was captured in a United Press International photo in a metal-pressing plant near Ann Arbor.

Her photo was later used by the U.S. War Production Coordinating Committee in an illustrated poster called, 'We Can Do It!'

Geraldine Hoff Doyle via the Wall Street Journal

The poster was designed to encourage other women to enter the workforce in support of the war effort but has grown to become a pop-culture icon of women's equality.

'She was very inspirational,' said her daughter, Stephanie Gregg of Eaton Rapids, assistant dean of admissions for Cooley Law School. 'She was very kind and generous. She lived the 'We Can Do It!' life every day.'

More than 6 million women would eventually heed the poster's call, entering the workforce in droves during the war. Nearly half found factory jobs previously reserved for men to churn out bombers, tanks, guns and ammunition.

After the war, Doyle's famous image became a lasting emblem, said Gladys Beckwith, former director of the Michigan Women's Historical Center and Hall of Fame, which honored Doyle in 2002.

...Ironically, Doyle herself didn't know until 1984 that she had a famous face - not until she was flipping through an issue of 'Modern Maturity' magazine and saw a reproduction of the poster.

'She said, 'This is me!,' ' recalled Gregg.

Doyle recounted the story later for a 2002 article in the Lansing State Journal.

She had never noticed the poster before, she said, because she was too busy living her life.

'I was changing diapers all the time,' she said in 2002.

Doyle married her husband, Leo Doyle, in 1943 at the age of 18.

Together they had six children and ran a successful dental practice in Lansing.

'My dad died Feb. 28,' Gregg said. 'My mom said, 'I don't know how I'll live without him.' '

I don't know the statistics but it appears to happen quite often that when a long-time spouse dies, the other goes pretty quick after. A tribute to 'Rosie' from Ypsilanti Gleanings in 2009: Our Gal Rosie. Rest in Peace Geraldin. HT: Orlin

"