Marin Women's Hall of Fame

     Etta Allen is a Marin pioneer for women in non-traditional careers.  Etta showed an early resolve for entering fields not ordinarily open to women by earning an airplane pilot's license while still a teenager.  Later, she co-founded a heating, air conditioning and sheet metal business with her husband, Jim.  Upon his death, she faced tremendous obstacles to obtaining a heating/ventilation contractor's license for herself, despite years of contracting experience.  Through persistence and patience - the hallmarks of Etta's success - she was able to take the contractor's exam.  Allen Heating and Sheeting Metal, Inc. continues to be a successful Marin business.     

     Ms. Allen went on to become the first woman President of the Marin Builder's Exchange, where she is still an active member.  She was the first woman contractor on the executive committee of the California Association of Builder's Exchanges. She also served on the Apprentice Committee for Women in Non-Traditional Careers.  Etta was elected to the Marin Community College Board for two terms (eight years).  She was President of the Bay Area Trustees for Community Colleges.  Etta continues to be a leader in the Marin community.  She was appointed by the Governor to the State Compensation Insurance Fund Board.  She was the first woman President of the San Rafael Rotary Club, and was President of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce.  She maintains a strong involvement with both organizations.  A board member of the Marin General Hospital Foundation for many years, she recently moved to the Hospital's Management Board of Directors.  In addition, Etta is a director of Westamerica Bank.

     Mimi Baez Farina first picked up a guitar when she was thirteen.  By the time she was eighteen, she was performing her music on stage.  Since then, Mimi's life has always been close to the performing arts.  In 1974, Mimi became the founder and guiding force behind Bread and Roses, a non-profit organization which brings free, live, top-quality entertainment to people confined or isolated in institutions.  Over the years, Mimi has made a significant contribution to the lives of people in prisons, convalescent homes, AIDS wards, rehabilitation hospitals and other confined situations.  A successful musician with numerous recordings and live performances around the United States and Europe, Mimi has used her own talents and enlisted the talents of others.  These artists, by volunteering their time and abilities, have made a positive difference in the lives of an often forgotten population.    

     Bread and Roses currently produces over 400 live shows each year, reaching a total annual audience of about fifteen thousand people in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Bread and Roses does not charge any fee for its shows.  It operates through donations and grants, keeping its entertainment affordable for all people.  Mimi Farina's commitment and dedication to the success of Bread and Roses have now inspired other agencies serving many communities throughout the country to establish similar services.

To view Mimi's interview with Beth Ashley click on the appropriate format for your computer.

     Patricia Halinan was one of the first women to graduate from Stanford Medical School.  Although she was actively discouraged from pursuing medical studies by some of her professors (who did not want female students), she successfully completed her medical program.  When medical internships other than at children's hospitals were routinely denied to women, Patricia Halinan directly negotiated a general medical internship at San Francisco General Hospital.  When she completed her internship, she was the first Stanford graduate in twenty years to be awarded a residency at San Francisco General.  She later entered private practice as a cardiologist.     

     Dr. Halinan eventually became Assistant Health Officer for Marin County.  In this position she became closely acquainted with the special needs of disabled children, children with birth defects and other children with special needs.  She established a program in the Department of Public Health for the protection of battered children.  She was a champion for the rights of the developmentally disabled.  Later, as a representative of the Agency for Infant Development, she worked with State Assembly members to write, sponsor and pass legislation designed to protect California's children.  She actively lobbied in Sacramento and made numerous television appearances on behalf of these laws and other child-related issues.  She was one of the first to address the problem of fetal alcohol syndrome.  Dr. Halinan received numerous awards during her life, including the March of Dimes Meritorious Service Award.

     Anne T. Kent devoted her life to serving and enriching the Marin community through her enthusiastic interest and energetic participation in a variety of activities.  She showed her love of the environment by donating half of Kent Island in Bolinas Lagoon to the Nature Conservancy as a wildlife refuge.  A woman who loved being outdoors, she further demonstrated her environmental commitment as a founding member of the Marin Art and Garden Center, the Marin Conservation League and the Marin Garden Club.  She also had an active, long-term involvement with the National Audubon Society, California Botanical Society and the Save the Redwoods League.     

     Anne Kent, who attended "librarianship school" in 1920, showed her love of reading and learning through her "generous and warm-hearted" leadership in the establishment of the Marin County Library System in the 1920's.  She later initiated and managed an extensive oral history project focusing on Marin's earlier years, interviewing, with her partner, over two hundred and twenty-five "old-time" Marinites.  She was also an active member of the Marin County Historical Society, the California Historical Society and the Friends of the Library.  The Civic Center Library Branch houses a special room devoted to California and Marin history. It is named "The Anne T. Kent Room" in recognition of her many civic contributions.

     Edna Muse is a volunteer dedicated to many Marin organizations.  She has committed countless hours to many causes that impact the quality of life for local residents, including the American Cancer Society, the Novato Human Needs Center, the Novato Unified School District, and numerous local hospitals.  She co-founded the Concerned Parents of Novato, a multiracial organization that raises scholarship money for local African-American youth.  Her ability to walk in someone else's shoes has made her a valuable asset to the Novato Police Advisory and Review Board.  Her service ranges from helping to collect emergency foods, to serving on speakers bureaus, to being in charge of fund-raising.  She's upbeat and possesses an uncanny ability to find the common bound between diverse groups of people.  An active member of her church, she is an extraordinary singer and soloist in the choir.     

     Ms. Muse's contributions have been recognized in numerous awards including the Humanitarian Award from the Marin County Human Rights Commission.  A close friend wrote, "It can be truly said of Edna Muse that she has played a part in fulfilling the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  She has tried to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and visit those who were in prison;  she has tried to love and serve humanity." 

     Vera Schultz was a trailblazer for Marin County women's involvement in politics.  During her lifetime, she was a living demonstration that women can make a constructive contribution to society.  She was first elected to the Mill Valley City Council.  Within a few years, she became the first woman ever elected to the Marin County Board of Supervisors.  She distinguished herself quickly, pushing for the professionalization of services offered by the county government.  She was instrumental in the creation of the County Administrator, Public Works Commissioner and County Counsel positions and she actively supported the establishment of a County Personnel Commission.  She served on the ad hoc committee that formed the Marin Women's Commission.  She was selected as a director of the California State Supervisors Association, again one of the first women to serve in that role.  Ms. Schultz was also active in the Marin leadership of the League of Women Voters and was involved with the creation of Marin General Hospital.     

     For all of her numerous contributions to Marin, Vera Schultz, is best remembered for her leadership in obtaining the services of world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design the Marin County Civic Center.  Through numerous obstacles, Ms. Schultz' enthusiasm and drive kept the construction on track.  The Civic Center is a landmark building that is now visited by lovers of architecture from around the world.  It is this legacy to Marin of which Vera Schultz was most proud.

Read the extended biography by Sally Hauser   

     Elizabeth Terwilliger, known to generations of Marin residents as "Mrs. T.", has devoted over forty years of her life to environment teaching.  She began the work as a young mother when she took her own children on nature walks.  During these times, she shared her high regard for all living creatures and extensive knowledge about the eco-system of Marin.  Through her animal collection, her famous walks and countless visits to Marin and Bay Area schools, she has communicated her love of nature in a creative and memorable way.   

     Mrs. T., an active member of the Marin Conservation League, worked toward the creation of Monarch butterfly preserves and the purchase of land for open space and parks.  The establishment of the natural preserve on Goat Hill, located on the Tiburon peninsula, was a direct result of Mrs. T's efforts.  She helped to co-found the Marin County chapter of the Audubon Society.  Mrs. T. also helped to establish many of the bike paths throughout the county, setting an example for other communities in the nation and enabling cyclists to enjoy the beauty of Marin.  She is the recipient of numerous local and national awards, including the President's Volunteer Action Award, given to her by President Ronald Reagan at the White House in 1984.

    Mae Wygant is an artist with vision.  It is her ability to carry her vision to fruition that has benefited thousands of elderly Bay Area residents.  An ordained elder at her church, Mae spoke with fellow church members gathered at her kitchen table about the unmet needs of older Marinites.  Many were passing their days without any visitors or companionship except attending medical personnel.  Enlisting the support of friends, neighbors and others willing to volunteer, Mae founded "Love Is The Answer" (LITA) in 1975.  LITA is an agency which makes friendship connections between residents of convalescent homes and volunteers.  Through her persistence and commitment to service, agencies have been established over the years in Sonoma, Alameda and Contra Costa counties.  LITA continues to grow; in 1996, a LITA was formed in Napa County.     

     Mae now faces the challenges of living with a chronic neuro-muscular disease.  Over the past decade, she has experienced problems with her vision, muscle coordination and the daily consciousness of living "less able".  But while Mae has had to slow down her busy schedule, she continues with her successful painting career and with her LITA involvement.  She serves as an advisor to LITA in Sonoma, and recently volunteered as a LITA coordinator in a local hospital.  Mae also financially supports LITA by donating some of her artwork to be sold at LITA fund-raisers.  Her plans for the future include LITA, exhibiting new artworks and writing more poetry.

Read Mae's extended biobraphy.

     A former educator, Iniece Bailey was a selfless and tireless worker for many causes.  A passionate activist for social and civil rights, she was co-founder of Operation Give a Damn, Inc., a Marin City based program, established in 1969, to  assist young people at risk.     

     Ms. Bailey was also co-founder of the Marin County and Mill Valley Human Rights Commissions. While serving on the boards of the ACLU, CORE, Adult Criminal Justice Commission, and the San Quentin Task Force, she furthered her efforts to end injustice by sensitizing others to its presence.  She was a founding member and ordained Elder of the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Marin City.     

     Steadfastly committed to children, she was a mother of four and a long-time foster parent.  She served as the Marin County Coordinator for the United Nations Year of the Child, and has the distinction of being the first African-American PTA President of Tamalpais High School.  She was also an early board member of Project Care for Children.       

     Ms. Bailey began her second career with the Department of Public Social Services as an Eligibility Worker. She then became a Supervisor for a unit of para-professional Social Work Assistants.  Ultimately, she became the Department's liaison to the County Head Start providers.     

     At the time of her death, she had been diligently working to pioneer an affordable child care center for infants and toddlers from low income families.  The Sausalito based Iniece Bailey Infant and Toddler Center was established in her honor. 

     Ann Brebner is helping to change the face of downtown San Rafael through her successful efforts to renovate and restore the Rafael Theater as a permanent home for the Film Institute of Northern California which produces the Mill Valley Film Festival.     

     As a past Board President and current member of the Board of Directors she has, by the strength of her vision, her sensitivity and integrity helped developed the Film Institute into a substantial, widely respected, broadly-based arts organization.  She is a founder of the Marin Shakespeare Festival, and of Northern California Women in Film and has served as an advisor to Bread and Roses and is a director of the Pickle Family Circus.  She was also instrumental in the development of the College of Marin drama program and its theater.   

     A native of New Zealand, Ms. Brebner abandoned her pursuit of a career as a concert pianist and applied herself first to medicine and finally to theater arts.  She studied all aspects of theater at London's famous Old Vic Theatre School and has directed in New York and the Bay Area.  She was President of Brebner Agencies Inc., a respected agency in San Francisco representing writers and actors.  Ever fascinated by why we do, what we do and how actors function, she is the author of "Setting Free the Actor; Overcoming Creative Blocks."  She as two sons, Alexander and Jay. 

     Newsweek has noted that Ann Diamond founded the first all women-lawyer legal firm in the Bay Area.  In addition to that "first," Ms. Diamond also pioneered the area of family law as a legal specialty.  As a member of the Family Law Advisory Commission of the California State Bar, she helped to set state guidelines for child and spousal support.  She taught law at U.C. Davis.     

     Ms. Diamond came to the U.S. from Hungary at the age of 17, speaking no English.  Within seven years she had graduated from high school, college and law school and passed the bar exam.  She went on to practice law with distinction until retirement at age 73.     

     Ann Diamond can look back on a legacy of the Marin Legal Aid Society, Lawyer Referral Service, developed family mediation techniques and a cadre of lawyers and judges who call her "mentor."  The first woman to serve as President of the Marin County Bar Association,  Ms. Diamond was also the President of the Northern California Chapter of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.    

     Ms. Diamond remains very active with the Family Law Center, Kids Turn and other innovative programs designed to help families at the time of separation. 

Read the extended biography by Nancy Nakai  

     With understanding and enthusiasm for the democratic process, Virginia Franklin infused several generations of high school students with appreciation for civil liberties and our system of government.  Through her efforts, many Marin teens have participated in "mock political conventions"; others have had the opportunity to experience government in Sacramento or Washington, D.C.     

     Beginning teaching after her graduation from U.C. Berkeley at age 19, she always strongly believed in an informed student population, opposing book bans and other restrictions on instructing.  Even during a storm of protest in the 1960's when she was attacked for encouraging critical thinking, she remained a fearless teacher of all ideas.  Mrs. Franklin successfully survived attacks on her teaching by the John Birch Society, the American Legion, Congressional hearings and nation-wide publicity in Life Magazine.  She went on to get a doctorate in education and developed a curriculum for educators on how to teach civics and democracy.  Named outstanding teacher of the year in 1982 by the Marin Educational Foundation, she encouraged students to write bills which were actually introduced into Congress.  Other honors have included Barbara Boxer's "Women Making History", the Valley Forge Classroom medal, the constitutional Rights Foundation Award and numerous others. 

     After "retirement', Mrs. Franklin served as an active consultant and mentor for Marin's Human Rights Resource Center, sharing her experience in education and commitment to democracy.  She passed away in 1991. 

Read the extended biography by Nancy Nakai 

     Helen Nelson has devoted most of her adult life to consumer advocacy and education.  With a focus on American consumer, she has promoted fairness and truth.  Often in the public spotlight, she has held press conferences, testified before state legislatures and the U.S. Congress, addressed countless audiences and worked with numerous national and international leaders.  Helen began her consumer work by becoming Consumer Counsel to California Governor Edmund Brown.  In this position - the first of its kind in the country - she drafted and recommended consumer legislation.  She had to work against "special interest" lobbyists, especially those representing industries who did not want to label the contents in their products (such as the food and cosmetics industries), who did not want to provide the actual cost of credit ("truth in lending") and who did not want to otherwise inform the spending public.     

     In addition to her work in Sacramento, Helen served on the Consumer Advisory Council to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.  Later, she was the Public Governor of the American Stock Exchange from 1972 - 1978, as well as Consumer Consultant to the U.S. Congress.  For fifteen years she served on the Board of the Consumers Union.  Under President Jimmy Carter, she was appointed a member of the President's Export Council, as well as Consumer Advisor to the Federal Reserve Board.  In 1979, she founded the Consumer Research Foundation, which makes policy recommendations on consumer matters throughout the world.  In 1996, she was featured as the commentator on a video of the history of the American consumer movement entitled "Change Makers: The Struggle for Consumer Rights". 

     Jean Starkweather has worked for many years to preserve the beauty and natural features of Marin County.  One person has commented that "Anytime there is a public hearing on an issue that will affect the environment, Jean Starkweather is present, both with information and a readiness to take action."     

     Ms. Starkweather has worked on preservation and restoration of wetland habitats.  She has taught classes and led fieldtrips for children and adults to further their knowledge and enjoyment of the natural environment.  Acting on her firm belief that the natural resources are valuable community resources, and that people must work to protect them, she insists "the quality of the community is dependent on the people getting involved in it".     

     Among her many civic activities, Ms. Starkweather has been President of Marin Audubon and the Marin Conservation League.  She is a long term docent and board member of Audubon Canyon Ranch.  As a member of the Marin County Parks, Open Space and Cultural Commission, she served as Commission Chair for two years, and works on issues in county parks and open space, and on the extension of bicycle paths and routes throughout the county.   

     Ms. Starkweather is the recipient of the 1979 Environmental Award from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in recognition of her outstanding environmental contributions to the Bay Area.      

     Jean continues to serve on the MCL Board of Directors and is active on several committees.  She served as MCL President from 1993-95 and received the Marin Green Award from MCL in 1998.  Jean is particularly known for her knowledge of San Rafael shoreline ecology, her habitat restoration work in that area and her suggestions regarding San Francisco Bay Trail design.   

Read Jean Starkweather's extended biography  

     Grace Wellman gave her time over and over to influence issues meaningful to the community.  Her involvement and leadership were varied.  She ran the Civil Defense for Kentfield during World War II.  She coordinated the volunteer program, speaker's bureau and other programs for the Marin American Red Cross.  She played a leadership role with both the Marin Garden Club and the Marin Outdoor Art Club.  In addition, Mrs.  Wellman's volunteer support to the Marin Conservation League lasted over forty years, as she served as its President and in numerous other capacities.     

     Mrs. Wellman was instrumental in saving the Bolinas lagoon as well as many other open space areas.  She described much of her work in conservation as learning "when to play Paul Revere" including when to sound the alarm, who to call, and where to go.  In 1982, she was awarded the Green Award, the highest award of the Marin Conservation League in recognition of her years of excellence in the environmental field.  She attributed her success to the fact that she enjoyed people and she could organize them and they could have fun. 

Read Grace Wellman's extended biography