Join the Veterans Benefits Administration, Veterans Health Administration, the National Cemetery Administration and the Center for Women Veterans to recognize the many contributions of Edith Nourse Rogers. This event will highlight VA’s efforts to connect women Veterans with education benefits and opportunities, especially the Edith Nourse STEM Scholarship of which women Veterans are less likely to apply for.
In photos with her fellow politicians, she often appears as the only woman in the frame. Yet, Edith Nourse Rogers never hesitated to speak up on the issues that mattered most to her. She dedicated much of her time in office to supporting Veterans and advocating for their welfare. She also fought with great success to elevate the status of women within the military. Rogers adopted the military motto “Fight hard, fight fair, and persevere” as her own and that mindset served her well as she navigated the male-dominated corridors of power during a trailblazing political career that spanned 35 years and 18 consecutive sessions of Congress.
After World War I, Rogers had seen the difficulties many Veterans experienced when they left the military. Her work on and support for the proposed GI Bill of Rights helped secure its passage in Congress.
VA celebrates her name and work through the establishment of the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship, which provides an additional $30,000 for specialized training to Veterans who have exhausted their educational benefits. Her decades of public service and dedication to improving the lives of Veterans remain her most inspiring legacy today.