On October 5, 1996, Mary A. Hallaren was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame after becoming the first female colonel in the U.S. Army, taking a well-deserved place alongside such remarkable women as Clara Barton and Amelia Earhart.

A native of Lowell, Massachusetts, Hallaren taught several subjects in junior high school for 15 years before launching her career in the Army. As a teacher, she used her summer vacations to hitchhike and backpack around the world. When the Army created the WAAC (Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps) shortly after the U.S. joined World War II, she enlisted. In 1943, she commanded the first battalion of WAACs to serve in Europe, the largest contingent of women serving overseas during World War II. In 1947, she was promoted to Commander of WAAC, by then known as WAC, and she became the first woman to reach the rank of colonel in the regular U.S. Army.

At the end of the war, Hallaren devoted much of her life to making women an integral part of the U.S. Army, which would allow them to perform the same jobs as men. In spite of daunting opposition, she succeeded. In 1948, the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act was passed, making it possible for women to serve in the U.S. Army. Hallaren then went on to become the director of the new Women’s Army Corps. She retired from the service in 1960, having earned among other decorations the Legion of Merit and a Bronze Star.

After her retirement, she became the first executive director of WICS (Women in Community Service), a national non-profit organization devoted to reducing the number of young women living in poverty by promoting self-reliance and economic independence. She held this position until 1978. Thanks to her groundbreaking vision and direction, the organization has now grown to become one of the largest national volunteer organizations in the country, helping more than half a million women.

Hallaren’s parents are both of Irish descent. Her father’s parents left Co. Cork for the U.S. just before the Civil War. Her mother’s parents emigrated to the States even earlier.