Ford, Actress Sissy Spacek Unveil 'Rosie The Riveter' Memorabilia and Reunite Rosies for Memorial Day
 Designed by J. Howard Miller |
* Ford Motor Company, with the support of Oscar-winner Sissy Spacek, continues its recognition of "Rosie the Riveter" by unveiling a historic collection of Rosies' stories and World War II memorabilia.
* Ford and the National Parks have collected more than 7,500 stories and 150 artifacts from Rosies, some of which will be part of the collection being unveiled today.
* Ford is working with the U.S. Congress to pass a Rosie the Riveter Resolution, honoring the contributions of women who served on the World War II home front.
* Rosie the Riveter was a Ford employee. The Rosies not only began a legacy of pioneering women at Ford, but helped redefine femininity and pave the way in empowerment for women of today.
ARLINGTON, Va., May 20 -- When the nation turns it attention to Washington, D.C. this Memorial Day to remember those who fought and died for the U.S., Ford Motor Company will help a very important but often forgotten group of people to share in the honor: "Rosie the Riveter," and the women who heroically managed the home front effort during World War II.
Rosie the Riveter is the muscle-flexing woman in the famous WWII poster, exclaiming "We Can Do It," and who has become an icon not only for women who kept the U.S. factories rolling during wartime, but for all women of strength and will.
As the original Rosie the Riveter was a Ford Motor Company employee, Ford is honoring all Rosies today in conjunction with the National World War II Memorial dedication -- by unveiling a historic collection of Rosies' stories and memorabilia the company has collected since last fall.
Uniting Voices of Women's Empowerment
Ford is reuniting the Rosies in Washington, D.C. today for the unveiling. Mary Louise Mohr, who worked at Ford in Detroit riveting airplane wings during the war, is one of the Rosies attending the reunion. "When my husband, a Tuskegee Airman, went off to fight during WWII, I realized there was much to do on the home front to help the country and ensure his safe return," said Mohr. "I think it's wonderful that Ford is working for us now to help recognize our contributions, although most Rosies never thought we were doing anything special back then, just doing our part to win the war."
Academy-Award(R) winning actress Sissy Spacek, an advocate for empowered women represented on film and in real life, was on hand for the historic event.
"I long have been an actress devoted to portraying strong, empowered women, so I feel a total sense of connection to the spirit and the resolve of these real-life American heroines," said Spacek, best known for her Oscar-winning role as country singer Loretta Lynn in the 1980 film Coal Miner's Daughter.
U.S. Congressional Effort
Ford has been working with the U.S. Congress to help secure a place for Rosie recognition into U.S. history. As a result, a bipartisan group of Members in the House and Senate introduced "Rosie the Riveter" Resolutions on May 4, 2004, honoring the contributions of the women who worked on the home front during WWII. On Monday, May 17, 2004, the U.S. Senate passed S. Con. Res. 103 honoring these women, and the U.S. House is expected to pass H. Con. Res. 413 around the Memorial Day recess.
The Rosie Collection
Ford's Rosie collection will go on to be part of the "Partners in Winning the War" exhibit, which will officially open on the Memorial Day weekend at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at the gateway of Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The "Partners" exhibit, which will run through late fall 2004, highlights the many ways that women contributed to winning WWII, from women in military service and government to women in homes and industry -- such as "Rosie the Riveter."
The Rosie collection unveiling is the latest element in Ford's larger, on-going effort to recognize the Rosies and their contributions to women's empowerment:
* Ford and the National Parks launched a "call to action" last fall
through a Public Service Announcement and advertising outreach,
encouraging all Rosies to send in their stories and memorabilia.
* More than 7,500 stories and 150 artifacts have been collected.
* Ford launched a web site at www.ford.com to house all the stories for
viewing.
* All the stories and memorabilia will be permanently housed at the new
Rosie the Riveter / World War II Home Front National Historical Park.
* Ford provided a grant to the new National Park, which is being built
in a former Ford plant in Richmond, California, and will open in 2006.
A Day with Rosie by Jennifer Nash, Foreword by First Lady Laura Bush
In addition to tangible artifacts like wartime uniforms, factory tools and vintage photographs, Ford also collected stories from Rosies. Ford commissioned women's advocate and prominent author Jennie Nash to capture the stories in a book, A Day with Rosie. First Lady Laura Bush penned a letter for the book addressed to all Rosies around the country, commending them for their tremendous contributions to our country. Ford is distributing 30,000 copies of the book to the public at no charge. The first 1,000 visitors to www.ford.com/go/rosie will receive a copy.
Ford's Anne Stevens, Current-Day Rosie
Anne Stevens is a pioneer in her own right as Ford Motor Company's first female group vice president, overseeing operations in Canada, Mexico and South America. Stevens, who will participate in the May 20th unveiling, understands the importance of the "Rosie" spirit in negotiating a male-dominated environment.
"The Rosies of World War II clearly broke boundaries of the capabilities, contributions and fulfillment of women of their time, resulting in a redefinition of femininity that paved the way for women of today, including me," said Stevens. "It's no coincidence that the quality and productivity of Ford plants increased under the management of the wartime Rosies. We celebrate all Rosies who not only inspired female empowerment during WWII, but created a legacy for all women who live their lives with the same strength and spirit."
The Rosie Story: Working in a Man's World
The history of Rosie the Riveter begins when Rose Will Monroe became the nation's poster girl for women joining the labor force during World War II. The term "Rosie," taken from Monroe's first name, came to symbolize all women who continued to fill men's factory jobs in the '40s, maintaining the company's labor force as thousands of men fought overseas. Monroe worked on the assembly line building B-29 and B24 military planes. While on duty, she caught the eye of Hollywood producers who were casting a "riveter" for a promotional film. Her exposure in the film resulted in the popular, "We Can Do It!" poster by J. Howard Miller.
Women of today have the Rosies to thank for ground gained in women's empowerment. The Rosies are often credited with being the first substantial force of working women, and for creating the modern model for child day care. The Rosie phenomenon broke race barriers, as women of all races worked side by side in the factories. The war presented the opportunity for women to prove they could do a man's job, performing plant operations that were extremely high risk and physically taxing even for men. The Rosies also created a new model of economic freedom for women, as many of them were earning a paycheck for the first time. As a result, while some Rosies returned home to their previous lives following the war, many did not. Many went on to start businesses, fulfill vocations or to balance work and home.
"The Rosies went to work in order to help their country and fellow man, and ended up helping themselves by gaining confidence and self-reliance," said Stevens. "That's a legacy women should be proud to inherit."
