Women’s History Month Celebration

 The City of Huntington is celebrating Women’s History Month with a downtown street banner program that will honor 90 women who have ties to Huntington and who have made significant contributions on a city, state or national level. The banners, which will be installed on 3rd Avenue and 4th Avenue in early March, coincide with the launch of a website, www.huntingtonwomenshistory.com, that includes photos and biographies of each woman who is featured on a street banner.

Mayor Farrell looks forward to attending the ceremony to celebrate the launch of the banner program, joining the honorees, the selection committee, and all those involved. The event will take place at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 1, at the Jean Carlo Stephenson Auditorium at City Hall, 800 5th Ave, and is open to the public.

“Huntington has always been shaped by strong, determined women who stepped up, led, and made a real difference. This banner program honors their legacy, ensuring their stories are remembered. Bridging two  administrations, it shows that celebrating these women isn’t about politics—it’s about sharing the stories that make our city great. Their impact is woven into Huntington, and this effort ensures future generations know the shoulders they stand on.”

Former Mayor Steve Williams began work on the Women’s History Month street banner program in April 2024. The work has continued and has received strong support from Mayor Farrell. A diverse committee of nine women volunteered in April of last year to select the 90 women in September who would be honored with banners. The committee included the following individuals: Dr. Hilary Brewster, an English rofessor and Director of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at Marshall University; former Huntington City Councilwoman Sandra Clements; Laura Deveny, an author and retired Cabell County teacher; Amanda Kolling, a senior program director with Resource Media, a national nonprofit communications consulting firm; Huntington City Councilwoman Ally Layman; Dr. Montserrat Miller, Executive Director of Marshall University’s John Deaver Drinko Academy; Huntington City Councilwoman Holly Smith Mount; Phoebe Patton Randolph, Principal and President of Edward Tucker Architects; and Wendy Thomas, a retired Cabell County teacher and copresident of the League of Women Voters of the Huntington Area