Remarkable Women of Louisville

Mary M. Miller, Steamboat Master

Louisville’s ties to the river run deep throughout history. The first American woman to be a licensed steamboat master, Mary M. Miller, also called Louisville home. Born in the Portland neighborhood in 1846, Miller was the daughter for a steamboat engineer and eventually married a steamboat builder and pilot, George Miller. When not at their home on Shippingport Island, the Miller family would spend most of the year transporting passengers and freight along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans. When her husband was unable to renew is steamboat license due to color blindness, Miller assumed the role of captain and applied for her license. On February 16, 1884, Miller was formally granted her master’s license and captained their steamboat until the Millers retired in the 1890s. Miller is interred in the Portland Cemetery not far from where Miller grew up. Learn more about Captain Mary M. Miller while exploring the Portland Museum’s permanent exhibition dedicated to her or take a cruise aboard her namesake boat, the Mary M. Miller, located at the Louisville Wharf next to the Belle of Louisville.

The Hill Sisters—Mildred & Patty, Singer/Songwriters

What began as a simple tune for students soon morphed into the universally known “Happy Birthday Song” was created by two Louisville sisters, the Hill’s —Mildred (composer) and Patty (lyricist). The Hills were early pioneers within early childhood education which they were honored for at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. During the summers, the Hill family stayed in a cabin not far from Iroquois Park on Kenwood Hill (now the Kenwood neighborhood). It was during one of these stays when the Happy Birthday song was written and performed. In 1996, the sisters were posthumously inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The sisters are buried next to each other at Cave Hill Cemetery. Learn more about the sisters during a visit to the Little Loomhouse (their summer cabin) and the nearby historical marker, or head to downtown Louisville to the Happy Birthday parking lot with a memorial plaque located near the Frazier History Museum and Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory.

Henrietta Helm, Teacher/Principal

Despite being born enslaved in 1865, Henrietta Helm became one of the first Black students to attend public schools in Louisville. At the young age of 17, she became a teacher at both the Eastern Colored School and Portland Colored Night School, which was created for students over the age of 14 who had to work during the day. She later went on to become principal of the night school. Helm believed that it was never too late in life to learn in life. Learn more about Helm's legacy by exploring Portland Museum's archives, and by visiting her mural on 429 W. Muhammad Ali Blvd.

Enid Yandell, Sculptor

Hidden in plain sight throughout the city is the artwork of one of Louisville’s own. Sculptor Enid Yandell, born in Louisville in 1869, studied with famous artists such as Rodin. After completing her art degree at the Cincinnati Academy of Art, Yandell’s big break came when she was one of five women contracted to design and build the interior of the Women’s Building at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Locally Yandell’s artwork is on display for the public to enjoy. During the early years of Cherokee Park, Olmsted approved two sculptures to be placed within the park. The first being a 9-foot Daniel Boone statue-- also displayed at the World’s Fair-- and the second being Hogan’s Fountain with the statue of Pan that sits atop it that has been enjoyed by generations of Louisvillians. Yandell was also the artist behind The Wheelman’s Bench along Southern Parkway that has been a resting spot by cyclists since its dedication in 1897 with a parade of 10,000 cyclists. Cave Hill Cemetery is the final resting place to many famous and notable Louisvillians including Enid Yandell.

Nellie Conley, Stage & Film Actress – Madame Sul-Te-Wan

The Louisville native is best known as the first African American actor in Hollywood, making her debut during the silent era. Nellie Conley, known by her stage name 'Madame Sul-Te-Wan', was exposed to the arts as a young girl when she would deliver laundry to Louisville's Buckingham Theater. She observed the white female actors, studying their steps and mannerisms. Throughout the 1920s, Madame Sul-Te-Wan established her career, consistently booking roles and making a name for herself despite the industry's discrimination. Critics often condemned her for playing stereotypical African American roles, to which she once replied: "I'd rather play a maid than be one." Her career spanned more than seven decades with her most notable film being D. W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation.

Carrie Marcus Neiman, Businesswoman

Born in Louisville, Kentucky with no formal education, Carrie Marcus Neiman went on to become the co-founder of Neiman Marcus, a luxury department store still operating today. In a time when wealthy women traveled far and wide to find dressmakers, Carrie and her business partners (her husband and brother) aspired to bring ready-made clothing to town. Neiman Marcus was founded in 1907, with the men handling the finances and Carrie choosing which goods to sell. She traveled to fashion hot spots such as New York and Paris to stock her store. The clothes were popular from the beginning, known for their simplicity, elegance, and uniqueness—many items sold could not be found anywhere else in the United States.

Dixie Sherman Demuth, Bartender

When Dixie Sherman Demuth first opened her bar, women weren’t allowed to sit at the bar, much less bartend. After being shut down by Louisville's Alcoholic Beverage Control in March 1968, for having women both serve and drink, Demuth took the case to the Kentucky Supreme Court. The Court sided with Demuth and changed the states liquor laws. City officials immortalized her legacy with a historical marker you can visit at the corner of Fifth Street and Muhammad Ali Boulevard, near Dixie’s Elbow Room's original location at 516 S. Fifth Street.

Dr. Grace Marilynn James, Pediatric Doctor

Dr. James developed an "interest in human suffering" at an early age, guiding her into the field of medicine. She was particularly passionate about the underserved Black community, as she began her pediatric practice in Louisville in 1953 when city hospitals were legally segregated. Despite these obstacles, she was the first Black woman on the faculty at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. She dedicated her practice to unwed mothers and the poorest of children, highlighting the issue of infant mortality rates long before others in her practice. Dr. James was a tireless advocate for preventative care and universal healthcare, often giving her impoverished patients food, clothing, and toys. In a Courier Journal profile of James from the early ’80s, she is quoted as saying: “I will make noises if my patients are mistreated. I will scream at people if that’s what it takes. There are people who will discredit you because of your skin color.”

Sue Grafton, Author

Sue Grafton took after her novelist father, C.W. Grafton, and began writing when she was 18. Unable to find success with novels, Grafton turned to Hollywood and spent the next 15 years writing screenplays for movies including Sex and the Single Parent; Mark, I Love You; and Nurse. While going through a heated divorce and custody battle that dragged on for six years, Grafton began having violent fantasies about her ex-husband and decided to write them down. These fantasies later turned into the alphabet novel series featuring private investigator, Kinsey Milhone. The series begins with "A" Is for Alibi, published and set in 1982. After that, Grafton put out a further book in the series every year or two, making it all the way to "Y" is for Yesterday before her passing. Grafton's novels have been published in 28 countries and in 26 languages and have occupied spots on The New York Times Best Seller list for a total of 400 weeks.

Diane Sawyer, Broadcast Journalist

This Louisville native has an impressive journalistic career, tracing back to being Editor-in-Chief of Seneca High School's yearbook, The Arrow. After college graduation, Sawyer started in weather reporting in her hometown, before moving to Washington D.C. and entering the government sector. She worked her way up through the industry and served as a staff assistant to U.S. president Richard Nixon. After her impressive stint in politics, Sawyer returned to reporting at CBS News. In 1984, she became the first female correspondent on 60 Minutes, a CBS News investigative-television newsmagazine. Over the next several years she anchored for ABC World News Tonight, Good Morning America, 20/20, and Primetime newsmagazine. Sawyer achieved worldwide acclaim after subjecting Mel Gibson to an intense television interrogation, after his 2006 DUI arrest. Sawyer has been featured on Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women several times, as well as won two Emmys, a Peabody award, and an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Brown University.

Tori Murden McClure, Athlete

This athlete, adventurer, chaplain, lawyer, and university administrator calls Bourbon City home. McClure was the first woman (and American) to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean, which she did in 1999. Thirty-six years old at the time, she rowed for eighty-one days, traveling 2,962 miles. She wrote a memoir detailing her experiences, A Pearl in the Storm: How I Found My Heart in the Middle of the Ocean, published in 2009. McClure's adventures didn't stop there. She was the first woman and American to ski to the South Pole (700-mile ski) and reach the summit of the Lewis Nunatak in the Antarctic. When she wasn't traveling the world, she was serving her city. She worked as a chaplain at Boston City Hospital, the executive director of a shelter for homeless women, a public policy analyst for the Mayor of Louisville, and she worked for the boxer and humanitarian Muhammad Ali. In 2010, she assumed the role of president of Spalding University, which she held for 14 years. Read more about McClure and access her book here.