Washington – November 10, 2026 -- The National Women's History Museum honored civil rights icon Ruby Bridges, the gold medal-winning U.S. Women's National Hockey Team and four other honorees at its 15th annual Women Making History Awards Gala at Navy Pier in Chicago.
The evening also marked the Museum's 30th anniversary, as the nation commemorates 250 years of American independence. Sixty corporate, individual and foundation sponsors backed the event, including History Maker sponsor Women Connect4Good and Trailblazer sponsor PwC.
Meryl Streep delivered remarks by video as Honorary Chair
Actress Bellamy Young introduced Museum President and CEO Frédérique Irwin. Tina Tchen, former chief of staff to Michelle Obama, introduced Ruby Bridges. Guests included actress and past honoree Sophia Bush, U.S. hockey captain and two-time Olympic gold medalist Kendall Coyne Schofield, and Chicago Stars player Brianna Pinto.
Irwin said the honorees show that "history is being made every day."
Six honorees received awards for barrier-breaking work
- Ruby Bridges received the Women Making History Award. At age six, she helped desegregate New Orleans public schools in 1960.
- The U.S. Women's National Hockey Team was recognized for winning gold at the 2026 Olympics and for advancing equity in women's sports.
- Laura Ricketts, controlling owner of the Chicago Stars FC, co-owner of the Chicago Cubs and investor in the Chicago Sky, was honored for expanding opportunities for women in sports, business and philanthropy.
- Gregg Renfrew, founder of beecee and Counter, was cited for transforming the beauty industry, championing stronger consumer safety protections and creating economic opportunities for women.
- ArentFox Schiff received the Evelyn Y. Davis Corporate Changemaker Award for more than three decades of pro bono legal support for the Museum.
- Kristen Kelly and Serene Williams, teachers at Sacred Heart Preparatory in California, received the inaugural Meryl Streep Educator Award. They developed and proposed the nation's first standalone Advanced Placement U.S. Women's History course, known as WAPUSH.
The Museum has brought women's stories to classrooms since 1996
Founded in 1996, the Museum delivers women's stories to classrooms, homes and communities through exhibitions, educational resources and digital storytelling. Organizers tied the Chicago setting to local figures such as Jane Addams and Ida B. Wells.
For the 250th anniversary, the Museum is building on its She Is Not a Footnote campaign and its Founders Not Footnotes initiative.