John Stetson
In honor of John Stetson 1830 - 1906
John Stetson is the inventor of the cowboy hat. In 1865 he started a hat manufacturing company in Philadelphia and grew it to 5,400 employees at its peak. He is credited with being one of the very first large employers in the U.S. that offered benefits to his workers and made sure his employees had a clean, safe place to work. He also built them a hospital, park and houses. He gave back to his community by donating his money to charitable organizations and built grammar, high schools and colleges (Temple University and Stetson University). He co-founded the Sunday Breakfast Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter, soup kitchen and helped establish the YMCA in Philadelphia.
Amelia Earhart
In honor of Amelia Earhart 1897 - 1937
Amelia Earhart was a famous American aviation pioneer, writer and women’s rights advocate. She was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and received the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross for her accomplishment. She set many flying records, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences and was instrumental in forming The Ninety-Nines, an organization for female pilots. In 1935 Amelia became a visiting faculty member at Purdue University as an advisor to aeronautical engineering and a career counselor to women students. She was also a member of the National Woman’s Party and an early supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment.
