22 Badass Women From Cincinnati Who Made History

Rosemary Clooney

The beloved singer and actress was born in 1928 in Maysville, Kentucky, and attended high school in Cincinnati’s West End. A few of her most popular songs were “Come-On-a My House,” “Mambo Italiano” and “Botch-a-Me.” She also starred in the famous holiday film White Christmas.

Theda Bara

Called the original vamp, Theda Bara was a popular stage and silent film-era actress. Born in 1885 in Avondale, Bara attended Walnut Hills High School before going to New York City to become an actress. Her career took off after she starred as a vampiric seductress in the film A Fool There Was. Bara starred in over 40 films between 1915 and 1919, but her career cooled after tastes changed and movies started casting more “wholesome” actresses. Still, Bara’s dark, alluring look and status as an early sex symbol of cinema give her an enduring legacy.

Mamie Smith

First Lady of Blues Mamie Smith was born in Cincinnati in 1891. She was a jazz and blues singer, dancer, pianist and actress. On Valentine’s Day in 1920, Smith recorded "That Thing Called Love" and "You Can't Keep a Good Man Down" for the Okeh record label, breaking down color barriers to become the first African American artist to record blues songs. The success of Smith’s record opened doors for other Black artists to record. Her most famous record, Crazy Blues, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1994. She also had a small career in film, appearing in Jailhouse Blues, Paradise in Harlem and Sunday Sinners, among other films.

Doris Day

Formerly known as Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff, Day was a well-known actress, singer and animal welfare activist. She was born in Cincinnati in 1922 and went to Our Lady of Angels High School in St. Bernard. Some of the most popular films she starred in include Pillow Talk and The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Vera-Ellen

Famous for her work on Broadway and Hollywood dancing and acting, Vera-Ellen was born in Norwood and was a dance student at Hessler Studio of Dancing alongside Doris Day. She became one of the youngest Rockettes. This led her to being cast in Broadway roles, including A Connecticut Yankee, where she was spotted by Samuel Goldwyn, who cast her in Wonder Man with Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo. Her other most popular films include White Christmas alongside other Tri-State native Rosemary Clooney and On the Town opposite of Gene Kelly.

Marian Spencer

A local Civil Rights icon, Marian Spencer led the fight to desegregate Coney Island in the ‘50s after her children wanted to attend an event there, but it was not open to Black children. Following that, Spencer spent the rest of her life fighting for racial equality. She chaired the Cincinnati NAACP Education Committee for 20 years, championing educational equity in schools. She was also the first woman to be the president of the Cincinnati chapter of the NAACP, became the first African American woman Cincinnati City Council member and served as vice mayor.

Ruth Lyons

Local broadcasting legend Ruth Lyons is said to have accidentally created daytime talk TV. Born in Cincinnati in 1905, Lyons first hit the airwaves in Cincinnati for WKRC. At the time Lyons, was the station’s pianist, organist and music librarian. But when the only female radio host called out sick one day, Lyons was put behind the microphone last minute. That decision launched her broadcasting career, with her being on the radio for multiple stations throughout Cincinnati, including WSAI and WLW. Lyons’ claim to fame was as the host of The 50/50 Club, a daily, hour-long program aimed at women that broadcast live on WLW at lunchtime. The show aired on radio first but in 1949 became a television program on WLW-TV that simulcasted on WLW and was later seen on NBC nationally. The 50/50 Club also became the first show to be seen in color on a daily basis in Ohio.

Mary Wineberg

A track and field athlete, Wineberg attended Walnut Hills High School and the University of Cincinnati before competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympic games. She ran the first leg for the U.S. Women's 4 × 400 meter relay team that brought home the the gold. Wineberg was UC's first female African American athlete to win gold at an Olympic Games. She is now a motivational speaker and author.

Bobbie L. Sterne

Bobbie L. Sterne was the first woman to be Cincinnati’s mayor full-term. Sterne grew up in Northeastern Ohio and studied nursing in Akron before serving in the 25th General Hospital Division in Europe during World War II. Following the war, Sterne and her husband moved to North Avondale, and Sterne was elected to Cincinnati City Council in 1971, serving nearly continuously until 1998. She also served two terms as mayor.

Dorothy “Dottie” Kamenshek

Known as “Dottie” and “Kammie,” Dorothy Kamenshek was thought to be one of the best players in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, playing first base for the Rockford Peaches for 10 years. Kamenshek was from Norwood and began playing for the Peaches in 1943 after her Cincinnati softball team won the national title three years in a row. Apart from being an excellent baseman, Kamenshek was also a solid hitter and earned the All-Star title seven out of the 10 years she played.