Exhibits : Special Exhibits

Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America
(September 25, 2009–December 13, 2009)

Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America is traveling exhibition about a group of independent American women who helped shape the nation's social and cultural landscape. This exhibit highlights the untold story of these sisters, whose accomplishments include:

• Founding more than 110 U.S. colleges and universities
• Developing the first infant incubator
• Staffing the first U.S. Navy hospital ship

As nurses, teachers, and social workers, sisters entered professional ranks decades earlier than most other women and established institutions that continue to serve millions of Americans from all walks of life. In this exhibit, rare artifacts and photographs from more than 400 communities have been brought together for the first time.