Mollie Anderson

Director

UNO Human Resources

Inspirational Women

"It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always."--Oprah Winfrey

"Champions have the courage to keep turning the pages because they know a better chapter lies ahead."--Paula White

"I could not, at any age, be content to take my place by the fireside and simply look on. Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life."--Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

2011 Theme- Our History is our strength

Learning about women’s tenacity, courage, and creativity

Until relatively recently, women's history was overlooked and undervalued.

Women’s achievements were often distortedWomen’s stories provide essential role models Role models are genuinely needed to face the

extraordinary challenges of the 21st century. The national Women’s History Project

March- Women’s History Month

In 2009, the Chancellor’s Commission on the Status of Women (CCSW) unanimously decided to offer an annual award to honor University of Nebraska at Omaha women alumni who have made lifelong contributions to UNO.

Legendary Woman of UNO Award

Criteria for SelectionThe woman must be deceasedNo more than one woman may be selected

each year for recognitionThe committee will consider the impact the

nominee had on:The future of UNOIssues pertaining to womenThe environment for students, faculty and staffThe core institutional structure

Documentation to support her achievements

Legendary Woman of UNO Award

1896-1987Achievements:

A young women full of promise at the dawn of a new century

An artist and a PoetA landlord and property managerAn entrepreneurA devoted wife and mother of two boysAn historian An actor

Olga “Jorgy” Jorgensen Strimple was:

Class President, Omaha University 1919Service Learning PioneerActive in Campus Social OrganizationsKappa Psi Delta SororityPast President, Executive Secretary and

Lifetime Member or the Alumni AssociationEditor of the YELLow Sheet and GatewayAn athleteLifelong Promoter of UNOThe first paid secretary of the University of

Omaha Alumni Association.

Her husband was injured in WWI by mustard gas from which he contracted emphysema.

She took a six month leave of absence from the University Alumni Office in November of 1948 to care for her sick husband.

Her husband, the love of her life, died in 1949 from his illness.

She resigned from her position in the alumni office in March of 1949.

She raised their two sons on her own, managing work and family together.

She faced the hardship of being a young widower and being the monarch of the family.

Olga “Jorgy” Jorgensen Strimple’s Triumphs

She survived the economic hardships of The Great Depression and WWII.

Her son served in the Korean War.She survived the suicide of her son after a breakup

with his girlfriend.Olga was a pioneer of education. She had difficulty getting published. She faced discrimination as a woman business

owner.She faced disparities in wages between men and

women doing the same job.Olga had a soft heart in hard times.

Olga “Jorgy” Jorgensen Strimple’s Triumphs

“Things that you say or do are the things that you are.” Olga Jorgensen Strimple

Bare branches making lace,

Against the winter sky;

With delicacy trace

Designs that hold the eye.

Black and bare and strong,

Against the silver gray

They stand the winter long Striped of summer’s dress,

Defiant of the May. Bereaved of flowers of spring;

They bow not in distress

But through them wild winds sing.

Proudly against the sky

In tracings bold and strong,

Their filigrees defy When I too suffer loss,Memories of youth and song. In strength I hope to grow;

May I not wail and toss

In aimless grief and woe.

But like the barren trees

Against my winter sky,

May I make filigrees

That please the passerby.

Filigrees By Olga Jorgensen Strimple

Make the most of every opportunity you getLove lifeEnjoy your youthMake lemonade from LemonsFind solace in art and musicFocus on the positive Commit to all the roles and tasks you take onTake time to reflect on the lessons of lifeConfront discrimination head onTake time to mentor youthBe a patriot, even when you disagree with the

politicians of the dayBeing a good mother is your number one role

Lessons Learned from Olga

Who has inspired you?How do we inspire others?How do we respond to adversity?What messages do we surround ourselves

with?What legacies are we leaving for our

children?

Celebrating the Women in our Lives

The Bridge by Olga Jorgensen Strimple

Women are the glue of a family and the soul of the country…

Author Unknown