Two Juneau women will be inducted into the Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame.
Virginia Blanchard and Margaret Pugh are among 10 women selected to the 2019 class and will be honored for their accomplishments at an induction ceremony on April 30 in Anchorage, according to a press release.
Blanchard was elected and served as the first woman on the Juneau City Council in 1972, and served as the vice mayor for five years. Blanchard also spent 20 years working for the State of Alaska. She died in 1986.
Pugh was one of the first women to serve in a leadership role in Alaska’s correctional system. She was the commissioner of Alaska Department of Corrections, superintendent of Lemon Creek Correctional Center and founder of the first correctional facility for women. She served on the boards of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters in Juneau and the Aiding Women in Abuse and Rape Emergencies (AWARE) shelter. Pugh also chaired the Tongass Alaska Girl Scout chapter of the Girl Scouts of Alaska for a decade.
The rest of the 2019 class includes Marie Carrol of Utqiaġvik, Heather Flynn of Anchorage, Abigale Hensley of Anchorage and Kotzebue, Beverly Hoffman of Bethel, Mary K. Hughes of Anchorage, Betsy Lawer of Anchorage, Vera Metcalf of Nome and Savoonga and Mary Pete of Bethel.
The Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame honors women whose contributions have influenced the direction of Alaska across all fields of endeavor from all parts of the state. Biographies and photos of all women inducted since its inception in 2008 can be found online at alaskawomenshalloffame.org.
The ceremony will take place at First Baptist Church, 1100 W. 10th Ave. beginning at 5 p.m. and is open to the public. For more information, call (907)279-4836.
• This is a Juneau Empire report.
Margaret Pugh (Courtesy Photo)
