- Abraham Lincoln — NewMexiKen’s greatest American
- Albert Einstein — came to America at age 54; important work done more than 25 years earlier
- Alexander Graham Bell — Canadian
- Alexander Hamilton — if you’re on the currency you make the list
- Amelia Earhart — does a woman get to be great simply for being the first to do what men did?
- Andrew Carnegie — for philanthropy more than steel
- Arnold Schwarzenegger — not a good actor, not a good governor
- Audie Murphy — most highly decorated soldier of World War II (28 medals), all before age 21
- Babe Ruth — yes, made professional athletics part of popular culture
- Barack Obama — one speech, one big-time election; we’ll see
One thought on “Considering the first 10”
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I don’t know a lot about women aviators or Amelia Earhart in particular. So, I don’t know if she deserves to be on a “Greatest” list. But, I have been thinking about your question “Does a woman get to be great simply for being the first to do what men did?” I guess my response to this is, that if she does it well, then yes. It’s not the task itself as much as the courage, bravery, initiative, confidence, and effort she had to display in doing the task. Process over product as a teacher might say. When women (or other minorities) throughout history stepped into the world of white males, you have to believe that they were pretty great if they are still remembered and honored today.
Just one person’s thoughts on the subject.