Florence Rosenfeld Howe, is an American author, publisher, literary scholar and historian who is considered a leader of the contemporary feminist movement.
Early life
Born in Brooklyn, New York on March 17, 1929, Florence was the daughter of Samuel, a taxi driver and Frances Stilly Rosenfeld, a bookkeeper. Florence loved learning from a young age. Her mother, Frances, encouraged her daughter to follow a teaching career.
Education
In 1946, at age 16, Howe entered Hunter College High School. She was one of only five young women from Brooklyn to do so. In 1949, she was awarded entrance to Phi Beta Kappa, the elite academic organization which commends superlative academic achievement. Various people in power encouraged her to take graduate courses in literature and to become a college professor. After receiving a BA in English in 1950 from Hunter College, Howe entered Smith College and earned an MA in English in 1951.In 1954, Florence Howe attended the University of Wisconsin, resuming her work in graduate studies for art history and literature. She was awarded an honorary doctorate by DePauw University in 1987.
Career
In 1960, Howe was employed as an assistant professor in the English department at a private women's college, Goucher College, located in Maryland. She taught black children in a Mississippi freedom school during 1964 and chaired the Modern Language Association commission on the Status of Women in the Profession.In 1964, Florence Howe’s book Myths of Coeducation, featured one of her essays titled “Mississippi Freedom Schools: the Politics of Education.” In 1965, the essay was published in the Harvard Education Review. This essay written by Howe explains her journey with feminism and how she was able to relate issues such as education, race and politics within feminism. In 1967, she signed a public statement declaring her intention to refuse to pay income taxes in protest against the U.S. war against Vietnam. Howe also founded The Feminist Press in 1970, "an educational nonprofit organization founded to advance women's rights and amplify feminist perspectives", the organization had published three books by 1973. In 1973, Florence Howe took on the role of President of the Modern Language Association after being voted in. In 1978, another essay written by Howe titled “Myths of Coeducation”, explains women's education and how it “functions within the patriarchal limits of the society in which it exists.” From 1972-1982, Florence Howe assisted in editing the Women's Studies Quarterly, a peer-reviewed journal. In 1977, Florence Howe was presented an honorary doctorate in humane letters from New England College. In 1979, Florence Howe was presented another honorary doctorate in humane letters, given by Skidmore College. Florence Howe was responsible in co-editing various literature pieces throughout the years, such as “With Wings: An Anthology of Literature By and About Disabled Women ; Traditions and the Talents of Women ; and No More Masks.” In 1982, Florence Howe published the Feminist Scholarship: The Extent of the Revolution, a journal article in which she wrote about her findings with feminism in higher education. In the years 1983 and 1993, Florence Howe served as a U.S. Department of State Grantee. In 1987, Florence was employed as a professor of humanities at SUNY.
The Florence Howe Award
The Florence Howe Award for feminist scholarship of the Women's Caucus for the Modern Languages is named in her honor. The Florence Howe Award is an annual feminist scholarship acknowledging two outstanding essays by feminist scholars, one from the field of English and one from a foreign language. The authors receive $250 and are honored at an event hosted by the Women’s Caucus at the annual MLA meeting. To be selected, applicants must be members of the Women’s Caucus.
