EMU Today

YPSILANTI — Eastern Michigan University will hold its Mary Starkweather Awards on Monday, April 10, 2023. This year’s recipients are Sen. Debbie Stabenow and former Ypsilanti Mayor Lois Allen-Richardson.

The awards, which are open to the EMU community and the public, will take place in the McKenny Hall Ballroom on Eastern’s campus, beginning at 4:30 p.m.

The Mary Starkweather Awards honor outstanding women from the local community who advocate for social justice issues and demonstrate the traits of generosity, selflessness, progressiveness and risk-taking. Eastern Michigan University’s Women's and Gender Studies Community Board administers the award and selects the awardee annually. 

The awards are named in honor of Mary Starkweather (1819–1897). In 1841, Mary and her husband moved to a 160-acre farm which is now the campus of Eastern Michigan University. The first American women's movement in the 19th century unleashed the talents of progressive women like Mary Starkweather. As an active women's club member, her Ypsilanti city home became the Ladies Library in 1890. In 1897, she funded Starkweather Hall on the EMU campus, which is now on the National Historic Register.

Sen. Stabenow made history in 2000 when she became the first woman from Michigan elected to the United States Senate. She is Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, where she is the leader in protecting and strengthening food assistance and child nutrition initiatives so that more families have access to healthy foods. Senator Stabenow is the most senior woman Senator to ever serve on the Senate Finance Committee, a senior member of the Budget Committee, and a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee.

In acknowledging the award, Senator Stabenow said, “Mary Starkweather is such an important part of EMU’s rich history. Her inspiring contributions to the University and the contributions of so many women who followed her make this award especially meaningful. Thank you for this honor, and for all you do to recognize the meaningful role of women in our history and for inspiring our future leaders.”

Lois Allen-Richardson was the first Black woman mayor of Ypsilanti. After serving on city council for 20 years, she became the mayor in 2020. An alumna of EMU, Allen-Richardson received her BA in Social Work in 1965. During her time on city council and in the mayor’s office, she advocated for the needs of Ypsilanti residents, including the large African-American population. As part of this, she worked with other city residents to create a Community Benefits Ordinance that requires developers to negotiate with representatives from the city in addition to city council. In 2022, the Michigan Legislature presented her with a tribute signed by Governor Whitmer.

In commenting on the award, Allen-Richardson said, “I am extremely honored to have been chosen to receive this award. My hope is that my legacy will be that ‘all she did was straight from the heart.’"

Past recipients of the award are:

2016, Alma Wheeler Smith

2017, Kathleen Fojcik Stroud

2018, Nathalie "Nat" Edmunds and Jane Bird Schmiedeke

2019, Betty Barber, Daryl Hafter, and Rachel Brett Harley, 3 of the founders of Women's and Gender Studies at EMU

The 2020, 2021, 2022 awards were on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

About Eastern Michigan University
Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves more than 14,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Engineering and Technology; Health and Human Services; and its graduate school. National publications regularly recognize EMU for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. Visit the University’s rankings and points of pride websites to learn more. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website. To stay up to date on University news, activities and announcements, visit EMU Today.