Do You Know These Names?

At the turn of the 20th century, Williams was a pioneering pathologist, a scientist who studies infectious diseases. She helped develop vaccines for such widely feared diseases as smallpox and diphtheria, an illness that was especially fatal in children.

Bridges is a living symbol of the civil rights movement. In November 1960, the 6-year-old was the first Black child to attend William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana. One iconic photo shows Ruby leaving school surrounded by federal officers for protection.

A member of the Blackfeet Tribe, Cobell helped found the first Native American bank. She also discovered that the U.S. government had grossly underpaid Native people for the rights to oil and timber from their lands. The court case she set in motion won $3.4 billion.