Maine Women’s Hall of Fame will honor its 2020 inductees, Joanne D’Arcangelo and Betty-Jane Stanhope Meader, and its 2021 inductees, Joyce T. Gibson and Leigh Saufley, in a ceremony that coincides with Women’s History Month.

The virtual event will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 20.

While the event is open to the public, an RSVP is required. To register for this event and receive the Zoom link, visit uma.edu/mwhof.

This year’s event will combine the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame 31st and 32nd annual induction ceremonies into one virtual gathering. The program will include opening remarks from Myra Chaloult, president of the Business and Professional Women/Maine Futurama Foundation, and University of Maine at Augusta President Rebecca Wyke.

Those invited to provide recorded greetings for the honorees include Gov. Janet Mills, herself a 2019 Maine Women’s Hall of Fame inductee, as well as Maine’s Congressional Delegation: Sen. Susan Collins, a 2011 Maine Women’s Hall of Fame inductee; Sen. Angus King; Rep. Chellie Pingree, a 2001 Maine Women’s Hall of Fame inductee; and Rep. Jared Golden.

2020 Inductees

D’Arcangelo is a feminist activist and political strategist, policy advocate and lobbyist, State House staffer and non-profit leader.

Meader is a retired fashion merchandising/retail management and marketing professor at Thomas College in Waterville, former state president of the American Association of University Women of Maine and the Maine Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, advocate for women’s rights and life skills, community volunteer, patron of the arts and film, and devoted family member and friend.

2021 Inductees

Gibson is a “Drum Major for Justice,” leveraging educational expertise and community resources to promote positive leadership and equitable treatment of women and girls across Maine. She is also associate professor of Leadership Studies at the University of Southern Maine and former dean of Lewiston-Auburn College.

Saufley, a Maine native, is the first female chief justice, current dean of Maine Law, and a lifelong supporter of justice for children and youth.

For full biographies of the 2020 and 2021 inductees, visit uma.edu/about/community/mwhof/.

The Maine Federation of Business and Professional Women established the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame in 1990. The Hall of Fame is dedicated to women whose achievements have had a significant statewide impact, have significantly improved the lives of women, and whose contributions provided enduring value for women.

The induction ceremony is usually held at the University of Maine at Augusta on the third Saturday of March, in observance of Women’s History Month. This year’s event is being held virtually in compliance with CDC and Maine restrictions on large gatherings. UMA maintains a permanent Maine Women’s Hall of Fame display of photographs and citations for all honorees in the Bennett D. Katz Library.

The BPW/Maine Futurama Foundation maintains an active scholarship program. Since 1962, when the first small scholarship was presented, it has been helping Maine women achieve economic self-sufficiency by awarding scholarships to outstanding and deserving women. Recipients of these scholarships have gone on to contribute to the economic well-being of their families and the state of Maine.

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