Alta Hulett Award for the Professions

Alta Hulett was the daughter of a farmer in Rockton Township. She graduated from Rockford High School in 1870 and began to study law. She applied to the Illinois Supreme Court for admission to the bar and was denied. She then drafted a state law prohibiting the use of gender as a barrier to any occupation or profession. Eight months later the bill was enacted as the first anti-sex-discrimination law in the country. Ms. Hulett passed her examination with the highest marks in her class and became the first woman lawyer in Illinois in 1873, two days after her 19th birthday. Unfortunately Ms. Hulett died when she was 22 years old. She is buried in San Diego, CA.  This award is given to a woman who has contributed significantly to her profession or has served in a managerial position.
 

2008 Winner

Chris Beck
Nominated by Family Counseling Services

Chris Beck has accomplished many goals professionally, personally and in community volunteer positions. She found herself in a situation no one plans for as a widow with a small child and had to reconsider her earning options for her future. She took the experience she had in Human Resources built on it by continuing her education as a non-traditional student. She took this unexpected life and embraced it, excelled and takes this experience to empower other women by working within in her community.

Past Award Winners

2007 Peg Wilkerson
2006 Terrie Hall
         Karen Sikorski
2005 Linda Grist Cunningham
2004 Fran Middleton
        Becky Genoways
2003 Lisa Tomasino

        Maureen Mostacci
2002 Diane Hinderliter
2001 Nancy Sylvester
        Judge Janet Holmgren
2000 Shirley DiBenedetto
1999 Rita B. Klint
       Dina Getty
1998 Mary Slier
1997 Lynn Gibson

 

1996 Carol Dittambi
1995 Maribeth Edwards-Speckman
1994 Diane Voneida
1993 Judge Rosemary Collins
1992 Susan Grans
1991 Arles Hendershott Love
1990 Susan Mroz
1989 JoAnne Baker
       Carol Hallock
1988 Margaret Kennedy
1987 Penny Shaw
1986 Susan Crandall
1985 Carol Gorman Klint
1984 Estelle Black
1983 Georgia Cooper
1982 Mary Lou Gadow
1981 Gerrie Gustafson