Women's History Month 2023

Women's History Month is March 1 - March 31.

In 1982 Congress passed Pub. L. 97-28 which authorized the President to proclaim Women's History Week, beginning March 7, 1982. In 1987, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.”

Read more at https://womenshistorymonth.gov.

Dr. Cheryl L. Dyson, The First African American Superintendent for FCPS

Dr. Cheryl L. Dyson has been an educator since 1999. Prior to her current position as superintendent for FCPS, she  served as a teacher, assistant principal, principal intern, principal, director of family and community engagement, director of school support and improvement of elementary schools, and area associate superintendent for Montgomery County Public Schools.

Dr. Dyson’s colleagues describe her work ethic as legendary and her leadership style as collaborative, transparent, approachable and strategic. Her mantra is “Every child. Every day,” which elevates the collective responsibility of all FCPS staff to honor the uniqueness of every student and align the resources necessary to support their needs.

After graduating from Frederick Douglass High School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Dr. Dyson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Towson University, Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Hood College.

Dr. Cheryl L. Dyson

Dr. Cheryl L. Dyson

Elizabeth Chung, Founder and Executive Director of the Asian American Center of Frederick

Mrs. Elizabeth Chung is a native of Hong Kong, China and immigrated to the United States in 1970. She founded the Asian American Center of Frederick (AACF) in 2005. Her mission is to equip immigrants with essential skills to be independent and successful contributors to the community. Her main focus has been on equity for marginalized populations through education, workforce and community development.

Mrs. Chung was proud to establish the Community Health Worker Training Program for the U.S. Department of Health Human Service to expand public / community health workforce development to address health disparities for vulnerable populations. She earned her graduate degree in public health from Pennsylvania State University.

Elizabeth Chung

Elizabeth Chung

Barbara Fritchie, A Frederick Legend (1766-1862)

Barbara Fritchie was a Unionist during the Civil War. Folklore tells us that at the age of 95, she defied the Confederate Army by waving the Union flag at the soldiers out of her upstairs window. According to poet John Greenleaf Whittier these were her words, “Shoot if you must, this old gray head, but spare your country’s flag, she said.” 

 It is also documented that she was friends with Francis Scott Key, author of the U.S. National Anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner” and even entertained President George Washington over tea. Fritchie and Key are buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Frederick.

Barbara Fritchie

Barbara Fritchie

Dr. Blanche Bourne-Tyree, First African American Female Dr. in Frederick (1917-2019)

Dr. Bourne-Tyree was the first African American female doctor to practice in Frederick County, and one of the first to practice in Maryland. She was a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics and a Fellow of American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Bourne-Tyree graduated from Morgan College in Baltimore, with a B.S. degree and then earned a medical degree from Howard University where she would later become a pediatrics professor. She had a great role model; her father, Dr. Ulysses G. Bourne was the first African American doctor to practice in Frederick and also opened a hospital to serve the African American community.

Dr. Bourne-Tyree lived to be 102 years old. She was very active in the Frederick community and even co-hosted a local television show called Young at Heart.

Dr. Blanche Bourne-Tyree

Dr. Blanche Bourne-Tyree

Jan H. Gardner, Frederick’s First County Executive

Jan H. Gardner was elected as Frederick County’s first County Executive in 2014 and completed her second term in 2022.  Executive Gardner previously served as a County Commissioner for 12 years, including four years as President of the Board of County Commissioners.

Executive Gardner’s priorities during her years of public service focused on education, jobs, seniors, and meeting community needs.  She earned an MBA from Xavier University and a BBA in Finance and Economics from the University of Notre Dame, and graduated from the Rawlings Leadership Training Program through the University of Maryland. 

Ms. Gardner’s accolades include: The President’s Medal for Leadership from St. John’s Catholic Preparatory School, the Theodore W. Stephens Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding contributions to Human Relations, she was voted one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by the Daily Record three times and is a member of the Circle of Excellence.

Jan H. Gardner

Jan H. Gardner