Retired jockey Julie Krone is among nine women named as inductees to the National Women's Hall of Fame. These women, who have made valuable and enduring contributions to the nation, will be formally inducted during a ceremony on Oct. 12 in Seneca Falls, N.Y., the birthplace of the American Women's Rights Movement.
Founded in 1969, the National Women's Hall of Fame is the nation's oldest membership organization recognizing the achievements of great American women. Inductees are selected every other year based on their lasting contributions to society through the arts, athletics, business, education, government, humanities, philanthropy, and science. From a group of more than 100 completed nominations, an independent national panel of judges conducted a rigorous scoring process and selected nine women for Induction.
With more than 3,700 career wins, Julie Krone is the leading female Thoroughbred horse racing jockey of all time.
Krone made history in 1993 when she became the first woman to win a Triple Crown event aboard Colonial Affair in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I). In 2003, she went on to become the first woman to win a Breeders' Cup event aboard Halfbridled in the Juvenile Fillies, as well as the first woman to win a $1 million event in the Pacific Classic (gr. I) aboard Candy Ride .
Krone initially retired from horse racing in 1999 and became a commentator and analyst for the TVG racing network, but returned to the sport in 2002, retiring for a second time in 2004. Krone was named ESPN's 1993 Professional Female Athlete of the Year, and in 2000, she became the first woman inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame.
The other National Women's Hall of Fame 2013 inductees are: First Lady Betty Ford; certified professional midwife Ina May Gaskin; Kate Millett, a feminist activist, writer, visual artist, filmmaker, teacher, and human rights advocate; House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi; Mother Mary Joseph Rogers, founder of Maryknoll Sisters; Bernice Resnick Sandler, an advocate of educational equity for women and girls; Anna Jacobson Schwartz, an acclaimed female research economist; and Emma Hart Willard, a teacher and women's education advocate.
"The 2013 inductees again represent the spirit of Seneca Falls and the groundbreaking events that inspired the nation and the world," said Beverly Ryder, co-president of the board of directors, in a release. "We are grateful for the work of all the women we honor this year as their pioneering achievements have opened doors for so many.
"These great women include those who have pioneered work in economics, treatment of addiction, education, obstetrics, and the political arena. Their efforts impact the lives of both women and men, girls and boys, and provide us with outstanding examples of the importance of perseverance, commitment and the desire for change."
For more information about the National Women's Hall of Fame and to make plans to attend Induction Weekend 2013, visit www.greatwomen.org.
