2026 Maine Women’s Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony
Alane O’Connor, DNP
Director of Perinatal Addiction Medicine, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center
&
the late Frances Perkins
U.S. Secretary of Labor (1933-1945)
Date & Time
Saturday, March 21, 2026
Reception: 1:00 p.m.
Ceremony: 2:00 p.m.
Location
University of Maine at Augusta
Faber Forum, Jewett Hall
46 University Drive, Augusta, ME
News Release Jan. 5 — O’Connor and Perkins to be inducted
Previous Induction Ceremonies
Click the available link to view previous induction ceremonies
1990 – 1st Induction Ceremony: U.S. Senator Margaret Chase Smith & Mabel Sine Wadsworth (No recording)
1991 – 2nd Induction Ceremony: Gail H. Laughlin, J.D. & Elizabeth S. Russell, Ph.D. (No recording)
1992 – 3rd Induction Ceremony: Ninetta May Runnals (UMA, March 21, 1992)
1993 – 4th Induction Ceremony: Dorothy Murphy Healy & Gilda E. Nardone (UMA, March 20, 1993)
1994 – 5th Induction Ceremony: Esther Elizabeth Wood (UMA, March 5, 1994)
1995 – 6th Induction Ceremony: Eloise A. Vitelli (No recording)
1998 – 9th Induction Ceremony: Lois Galgay Reckitt (Acceptance speech only) (UMA, March 1998)
2001 – 12th Induction Ceremony: Linda Smith Dyer, J.D. & Chellie Pingree (UMA, March 17, 2001)
2002 – 13th Induction Ceremony: Theodora June Kalikow, Ph.D. (UMA, March 16, 2002)
2003 – 14th Induction Ceremony: Nancy H. Hensel, Ed.D. (UMA, March 15, 2003)
2004 – 15th Induction Ceremony: Sharon H. Abrams & Judith Magyar Isaacson (UMA, March 20, 2004)
2005 – 16th Induction Ceremony: Patricia M. Collins & Judy Ayotte Paradis (UMA, March 19, 2005) – Audio recording only
2006 – 17th Induction Ceremony: The Rt. Rev. Chilton R. Knudsen (UMA, March 18, 2006)
2007 – 18th Induction Ceremony: Laura Fortman & Dale McCormick (UMA, March 18, 2007)
2008 – 19th Induction Ceremony: Karen Heck & Florence Brooks Whitehouse (UMA, March 15, 2008) – Problem with audio (sound begins @3 minutes into video; ends @1 hour 30 minutes)
2009 – 20th Induction Ceremony: Sharon Barker – begins 1 hour, 8 minutes into recording (UMA, March 21, 2009) Note: Ceremony begins with recognition of three past state presidents: Aline Lovejoy, Jeanne Hammond, and Patricia Bourgoin
2010 – 21st Induction Ceremony: Thelma Swain (UMA, March 20, 2010)
2012 – 23rd Induction Ceremony: Mary Farrar & Ruth L. Lockhart (UMA, March 17, 2012) – Audio recording only
2013 – 24th Induction Ceremony: Lyn Mikel Brown, Ed.D. & Mary R. Cathcart (UMA, March 16, 2013)
2015 – 26th Induction Ceremony: Ellen Golden & Barbara W. Woodlee, Ed.D. (UMA, March 21, 2015)
2016 – 27th Induction Ceremony: Connie Adler, MD & Elizabeth Ward Saxl (UMA, March 19, 2016)
2017 – 28th Induction Ceremony: Ann Schonberger, Ph.D. & Clara Swan (UMA, March 18, 2017)
2019 – 30th Induction Ceremony: Darylen McQuirk Cote & Governor Janet T. Mills (UMA, March 16, 2019) – No video recording; photos only
2020 – 31st Induction Ceremony: Joanne D’Arcangelo & Betty-Jane Stanhope Meader (UMA virtual ceremony, March 20, 2021) Note: Delayed a year due to COVID-19; 2020 combined with the 2021 induction ceremony
2021 – 32nd Induction Ceremony: Joyce Taylor Gibson, Ph.D. & Leigh Saufley, J.D. (UMA virtual ceremony, March 20, 2021) Note: Combined with the 2020 induction ceremony that had been delayed one year due to COVID-19; begins 47:41)
2023 – 34th Induction Ceremony: Sandra L. Caron, Ph.D. (UMA, March 18, 2023)
2024 – 35th Induction Ceremony: Nancy Fritz, M.Div. & Julia McDonald, DO, MPH (Hosted by UMaine, March 8, 2024) Combined with UMaine Maryann Hartman Awards. MWHF induction ceremony begins at 28:40
2025 No induction ceremony in 2025
2027 – 37th Induction Ceremony: Inductee(s)TBA (UMA, March 20, 2027)