Two Denver residents will be honored for their far-reaching achievements when they are inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in October.
One is a member of the famous “Little Rock Nine,” the other a leading research scientist who investigates T-cells.
When Carlotta LaNier was 14 years old, she was escorted by armed soldiers into Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., in 1957, making her the youngest of the “Little Rock Nine.”
As one of the first black students to integrate a public school in the South, LaNier’s bravery helped pave the way for African-American students across the country to receive a more equalized, quality education.
She will travel to Seneca Falls, N.Y., a fundamental location in women’s rights history, for an Oct. 3 ceremony honoring her and seven other women.
“I was just blown away when I received the phone call,” LaNier said. “Just to be part of such an illustrious group of women for a national hall of fame was just not something that ever crossed my mind.”
Jill Tietjen, CEO of the National Women’s Hall of Fame, lives in Centennial and said she has gotten to know LaNier over the past few years.
“Her story is absolutely amazing,” Tietjen said. “What she did was pretty brave, and I don’t think many of us would have done it.”
LaNier did not think about the honors or the fame she would receive from being in the Little Rock Nine, she said. “It was all about an access to the best education available,” she said. “And I had every right to participate and go to that particular school.”
The criteria to be nominated for the National Women’s Hall of Fame states that the nominee’s accomplishment should be national and enduring, Tietjen said.
It was that thought that spurred the nomination of Philippa Marrack, one of the world’s leading research scientists investigating T-cells, which help the body fight off disease.
Marrack, an immunologist at National Jewish Health in Denver, said surprise washed over her when she learned of her nomination.
“If you think about women in the United States who are prominent, you think of entertainers and politicians. It’s unusual to hear a scientist being a member of a hall of fame,” Marrack said. “Outside of my family and my colleagues, nobody knows I exist.”
Marrack has spent her career unraveling the mysteries of how the body operates and said she is proud that she has continued studying the complicated, important T-cell for the past 50 years.
“There are a lot of other women who manage careers and family life and do a really good job, and nobody has a clue,” Marrack said. “It’s nice that a few of us get noticed.”
Elizabeth Hernandez: 303-954-1223, ehernandez @denverpost.com or
