Allegany County Maryland--Women

Dorothy Mellotte, Rosie the Riveter

It was during World War II that the Kelly-Springfield Tire Company in Cumberland, Maryland was involved in the production of 8-inch M106 and .50-caliber shells. Dorothy Mellotte of Ridgeley served as a shell inspector at the factory. She, along with her late friend Emma Jean Smith, were among the twelve women who served as shell inspectors during her time at Kelly-Springfield.

Nancy Jane Leo
1921 - 1945

Nancy Leo was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Patsy Leo of Frederick Street in Cumberland. She was a graduate of Catholic Girls Central High School, and went on to become a member of the 1942 graduating class of the Allegany Hospital School of Nursing.

Local woman recounts life in WWII Polish resistance

Jodlowski wanted story kept private until after her death

GRANTSVILLE — The harrowing story of the late Alina Jodlowski, who survived a prisoner of war camp in Poland, hasn’t been shared publicly until now.

Alina, who died in August, was adamant that her story wasn’t heard until after her death. She and her late husband Stefan, who died in 2003, were members of the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa).

Matylle Gerson, "Frostburg Angel"

The following article appeared in the Overseas Edition of the Cumberland Sunday Times, July 2, 1944:

Frostburg 'Angel'

Margaret K. Esposito, 1931

Margaret was born in Alabama and grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. She joined the Air Force after her high school graduation. Upon marrying John Esposito in 1952 they moved to Cumberland, John's hometown, after he completed four years in the Air Force. Margaret went on to attend Cumberland's Catherman's Business School.

A 1965 graduate of Allegany High School, Marjorie Hobrock enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1966 during the Vietnam War era. Sgt. Hobrock served stateside and worked in communications.

Since that time women have played an increasingly important role in the armed forces. In March 2005, about 350,000 women were serving in the U.S. military, almost 15% of active duty personnel, one in seven soldiers. (From: NPR Radio, Wounded in War: The Women Serving in Iraq, March 14, 2005).

In addition to 99 local nurses going off to WWI in 1917, the local Women’s Preparedness Committee noted that women were fast taking their place in all walks of life including working in most of the local industries as well as in the creation of war gardens to increase the flow of food overseas. African-American women organized their own separate clubs and reported 111 war gardens in Cumberland alone by November 1917.

These buttons were collected at the National Women’s Convention which was held in Detroit, Michigan on October 27-29, 2017. The button second from the left in the second row portrays what I would call the event's logo. Racism, equal pay, abortion rights, the Dream Act, Palestinian rights, education, sexual abuse and rape were among the numerous issues addressed at the convention by numerous panels, speakers and organizations.

The Women's Studies Program at Frostburg State University is a multi-disciplinary approach that examines the impact and role of gender on art, philosophy, music, theater, history, literature, psychology and sociology. The idea for a "women's studies" program was first discussed among faculty members in the mid-1970's. However it would not be until the Fall of 1990 that it became a recognized academic program with course offerings and a Women's Studies minor.

On March 10, 2010, approximately 200,000 marched in Washington DC for immigration reform. Issues pertaining to women immigrants, "The Right To Liberty - The Right To Family", was a concern raised by many speakers and groups. Among the advocates in attendance for immigrants, and women immigrants in particular, was the United Methodist Women (UMW), which is the largest denominational faith organization for women with approximately 800,000 members whose mission, among other things, is to advocate for justice.