In honor of Women's History Month, the Y is honored to commemorate and celebrate female figures within the history of the YMCA movement who were vital to the success and empowerment of all current and future women leaders in the Y.
Ellen Brown
Ellen Brown was the first female YMCA employee in 1886 when she was hired to serve as the “boys work secretary.” Brown taught a night class at the Y that grew so rapidly, it eventually became a whole department!
Addie Hunton
As part of the YMCA's massive World War I support effort, Addie Hunton was one of only three African American women assigned to serve over 200,000 segregated Black troops stationed in France. After returning to America, Hunton and her coworker, Kathryn Johnson, wrote about their experience in the book Two Colored Women with the American Expeditionary Forces (1920). Hunton was also YWCA secretary for Black student work and vice president of the NAACP.
Marguerite Cockett
Marguerite Cockett graduated from Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1905. Cockett was a resident physician at New England Hospital until 1906, she then did her specialty training in ophthalmology in Paris and London from 1909-1910. In 1916, she participated in the 38th National Archery Association tournament at Hudson County Park in Jersey City. That same year, she bought a car and brought it to France where she worked as an ambulance driver under the American Fund for French Wounded. She spent three months in Serbia establishing a French-Serbian hospital and served on a hospital ship in the Mediterranean. In 1917 she established the first canteen under the YMCA American Expeditionary Forces.
Winifred Colton
Fighting to improve the status of women in the YMCA, Winifred Colton began her extensive YMCA career as women’s and girls’ work secretary at the YMCA of Metro Chicago. In 1957, the YMCA's National Council’s statement of purpose no longer applied to “males only,” and Colton became the first woman professional on the national staff. After retiring, she continued influencing the work that the YMCA did with women and girls. She spent 39 years helping develop the foundation of today's family-oriented YMCA.
Xinia Brenes Jenkins
One of the founding members of the San Jose YMCA, Xinia Brenes Jenkins was deeply involved in the Costa Rican Catholic youth movement. The Latin American Confederation of YMCAs reached out to Jenkins for her assistance in instituting a national Costa Rican YMCA. Jenkins's work for the Costa Rican YMCA focused on providing programs for refugees, relief for those affected by housing shortages, and offering vocational skills training for women and agricultural skills training for Costa Rican natives. In 1990, she was named executive for refugees, development and extension for the Latin American Confederation of YMCAs.
Violet P. Henry
After holding various executive leadership roles in the Newark and Chicago YMCAs, in 1976, Violet P. Henry became the first woman to be named to a top management position at the Y's national office. Henry provided leadership for numerous national and international commissions and committees that worked for the rights of women and people of color. She served as president of the YMCA Association of Professional Directors and vice president of the World Association of Secretaries. She was also the first African American woman to be admitted to the practice of law in Canada.
Wilhelmina “Willie” Aveling
Wilhelmina “Willie” Aveling began her YMCA career as a physical director in Atlantic City. In 1933, she joined the staff of the Chicago Metropolitan YMCA, as their first female staff member, to find ways to improve programs for women and girls. For the next 28 years, Aveling helped develop policies and recruit women leaders within the YMCA movement. She was responsible for the development of the family YMCA concept, a model that was replicated across the U.S. and Canada. Her weight loss program, Lose Weight the Y's Way, saw worldwide recognition, while her Danish Gymnastics program was a precursor to modern aerobic dance. She was also the first woman to be inducted into the YMCA National Hall of Fame prior to her passing in 1987.
Suzanne McCormick
In 2021, Suzanne McCormick became the first woman to serve as President and CEO of YMCA of the USA. A 30-year nonprofit executive, McCormick is a sought-after speaker and thought leader in the nonprofit and social impact sectors. She came to the Y after working for United Way Worldwide for 11 years, where she most recently served as U.S. president. In her role, she serves as an inspiration and symbol of what’s possible for future women leaders, including the millions of girls and young women who engage with the Y as members, participants, staff and volunteers.
Visit the YMCA Archives to learn more about the history of women leadership in the YMCA.