Rosa Ethel Cunningham (February 19, 1890May 25, 1987) was an American soldier and civil rights advocate. She was inducted into the

Iowa Women's Hall of Fame The Iowa Women's Hall of Fame was created to acknowledge the accomplishments of female role models associated with the U.S. state of Iowa, and is an endeavor of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women (ICSW). History In 1972, the state of Iow ...

Biography

Cunningham was born on February 19, 1890, in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, to parents Emma and George Ryland McKean. Cunningham received most of her early education in

Natchez, Mississippi Natchez ( ) is the county seat of and only city in Adams County, Mississippi, United States. Natchez has a total population of 14,520 (as of the 2020 census). Located on the Mississippi River across from Vidalia in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, N ...

. In 1918, she married Edward Cunningham. Her first job was working for South West Bell Telephone Company, where she became acting manager. After Edward Cunningham died, she moved to

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, and worked at D. J. Joint Stock Land Bank, and later the V. U. Sigler Investment Company. Cunningham was elected the president of the Iowa Federation of Business and Professional Women for 1928. She is credited with convincing the

National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs Business and Professional Women's Foundation (BPW) is an organization that promotes workforce development programs and workplace policies to acknowledge the needs of working women, communities, and businesses. It supports the National Federation ...

to support the

Equal Rights Amendment The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Proponents assert it would end legal distinctions between men and ...

. In 1943, Cunningham enlisted in the

Women's Army Corps The Women's Army Corps (WAC) was the women's branch of the United States Army. It was created as an Auxiliaries, auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) on 15 May 1942 and converted to an active duty status in the Army of the U ...

. After completing officer training in

Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia Fort Oglethorpe is a city predominantly in Catoosa County with some portions in Walker County in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 10,423. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan St ...

, she served for nine years. After being discharged, she worked at the Veteran's Memorial Auditorium for several years, managing records of veterans in Iowa and planning Memorial and Veterans' Day services. She worked for many years with the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...

. In 1978, she was appointed to the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women, and two years later, Cunningham was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame. Cunningham posthumously received the Iowa National Guard's Distinguished Service Medal.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cunningham, Rosa 1890 births 1987 deaths Military personnel from Kansas City, Missouri Activists from Kansas City, Missouri