New York State Senate honors the achievements of New York State women

Inducts Three Women into Historic Women of Distinction Exhibit

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Senator Dilan and Senate colleagues inducted three women into its annual Women of Distinction exhibit.

This year’s exhibit, which opens March 9 in the Legislative Office Building, includes: the first African-American woman elected to the New York State Legislature Bessie A. Buchanan (1902-1980) of Manhattan; physician and professor Virginia Apgar (1909-1974) of Harlem; and lawyer and suffrage activist Kate Stoneman (1841-1925) of Lakewood and the Albany area.

This year’s honorees join a long-list of New York Women, from suffragists to geneticists, labor organizers to entertainers, whose contributions and legacies continue to impact all New Yorkers and will inspire generations to come.

The Women of Distinction exhibit will be on display in Albany, March 9-27 at the Legislative Office Building. Some of the women in the display include Susan B. Anthony, Lucille Ball, “Grandma Moses” Robertson, Harriet Tubman, Emma Willard, among others, all with strong links to New York State.