Since the Gold Rush of the mid-1800s, San Francisco has a been a place where people go to make a name for themselves. But did you know that a great number of equally great women were among the city’s many boundary-breakers?
During Women’s History Month, get to know the women who were trailblazers in San Francisco—both past and present—and see where you can celebrate their legacies today. The following is not a complete list; just something to get you started when planning events in the City by the Bay.
Maya Angelou
Did you know that poet, author and activist Dr. Maya Angelou was once a San Francisco streetcar operator, one of the first African-American women to hold that job? When she was refused an application, she sat in their office every day for two weeks until she was hired.
Ruth Asawa
A celebrated sculptor, Ruth Asawa’s greatest legacy, besides her artwork, was the creation of the San Francisco School of the Arts. She was a trailblazer for minority women in the world of modern art. Her wire-based works are on display in major museums across the country. There are also plenty right in town at the de Young Museum.
London Breed
In 2018, London Breed, a native San Franciscan, became the first African-American woman elected as mayor of San Francisco. Mayor Breed had long been a community and government leader in the City by the Bay, first as the executive director of the African-American Art & Culture Center and later as a member and eventually president of the city’s Board of Supervisors.
Carol Channing
The three-time Tony Award winner and Oscar nominee grew up in San Francisco and remains one of the city’s most beloved residents, even after her death. The theater at San Francisco’s Lowell High School, from which she graduated, is named after her.
Margaret Cho
Irreverent, insightful, and side-splittingly hilarious, Margaret Cho has starred in her own ABC sitcom, as well as headlined comedy clubs across the United States. Her life began in San Francisco, growing up in the Mission District and watching her father run a gay bookstore on Polk St. in the ’70s and ’80s.
Lillie Hitchcock Coit
If her last name sounds familiar, it’s because Lillie was the benefactor for the construction of San Francisco’s Coit Tower. A true trailblazer, wearing masculine fashions such as trousers long before they were accepted women’s wear, she kept herself close to the city’s rough and tumble action and also became the “patron saint” of San Francisco firefighters.
Dominique Crenn
The first female chef in the United States to receive 3 Michelin stars with her restaurant Atelier Crenn, Dominique Crenn has helped elevate the Bay Area’s dining scene to one of the finest in the world. Her highly-acclaimed wine bar, Bar Crenn, also received its first Michelin star, making this chef’s establishments some of the hottest in the city.
Isadora Duncan
Born in San Francisco, Isadora Duncan is often noted as the “modern mother of dance,” even though she lacked formal training. Her style of modern dance, more about free-form improvisation and artistic expression than perfect pirouettes, gained this Bay Area native a worldwide fan base for her fresh take on joyful movement.
Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Feinstein was the longest-serving woman in the history of the U.S. Senate. Her career in politics began in San Francisco, where she served as the city’s first female mayor and was critical to the massive restoration of the city’s cable car system.
Kamala Harris
After being born and raised in the East Bay, Kamala Harris began her legal career in San Francisco, elected District Attorney and serving the city for eight years before successfully running for California Attorney General. She was the first person of color to hold either job. In 2016, she ran for the U.S. Senate and became the first woman of color to represent the Golden State as one of its senators. After campaigning herself during the 2020 primaries, Kamala Harris was selected by former Vice President Joe Biden to be his running mate.
MicahTron
Born in San Francisco, Bay Area rapper and hip hop artist MicahTron (pronounced Mee-kah-tron) paints a picture of America through both her words and catchy dance beats. A fixture of San Francisco Pride celebrations, this openly queer artist has won a loyal following of fans for writing about her experiences as a woman of color, growing up in poverty and her sexual identity.
Alyssa Nakken
Did you know that the San Francisco Giants was the first to hire a woman to its coaching staff? An outstanding athlete in her own right, Alyssa Nakken was the first full-time female coach in Major League Baseball and the first to coach on the field during a game (she has since moved on). She started as an intern with the team in 2014.
Julia Morgan
A San Francisco native who became the first female licensed architect in California, Julia Morgan’s legacy lives on in a number of buildings all over the Golden State. In her career, she worked for such titans as William Randolph Hearst. The ballroom bearing her name, which she designed, remains one of San Francisco’s most coveted venues.
Alma de Bretteville Spreckels
Alma de Bretteville Spreckels is called the “great-grandmother of San Francisco.” Spreckels was a philanthropist who used her wealth and influence to amass one of the largest art collections in the country. She also was the was the model for the statue atop Union Square‘s Dewey Monument.
Amy Tan
Author of the best-selling novel “The Joy Luck Club,” author Amy Tan’s San Francisco upbringing features heavily in the cultural exchanges, setting, and mother/daughter relationships found in her works. Tan has authored other best-selling novels, including “The Bonesetter’s Daughter” and “The Valley of Amazement.”
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