Message from Councilmember Ellen Zimmerman | March 6, 2026
In honor of Women’s History Month and the 250th anniversary of our nation, I encourage residents to take time to reflect on the extraordinary women who have shaped our country and our own community.
Women’s History Month, observed each March, traces its roots to a local celebration in Sonoma, Ca. in 1978 and was officially recognized nationwide in 1987. It is a time to celebrate the achievements, resilience, and leadership of women throughout American history from the well-known pioneers whose names appear in textbooks to the countless others whose contributions strengthened families, towns and the nation.
On Thursday, March 19 at 12:30 p.m., the county’s Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs will host a special program titled “Union County Women of the American Revolution” at the Cranford campus of Union College.
The keynote speaker, County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi, will present “The Patriot Women of Elizabethtown and Vicinity,” highlighting the courageous women who used their intelligence, resourcefulness, and sacrifice to advance the cause of American independence.
While national figures like Abigail Adams are widely recognized, many women from Scotch Plains and surrounding communities also played vital roles in supporting the Revolutionary cause, often at great personal risk.
Scotch Plains’ own Elizabeth Frazee, for example, famously told British General Charles Cornwallis, who approached her home demanding bread during the American Revolution, that she would give him the bread out of fear, not love.
Impressed by her courage, Cornwallis declared: “Not a man in my command shall touch a single loaf.” Frazee’s legacy is preserved through the historic Frazee House at 1451 Raritan Rd.
There is a long legacy of remarkable women from Scotch Plains whose influence extends far beyond our borders.
We honor Judy Blume, a former Scotch Plains resident who raised her children here in the 1960s. Her novels have sold more than 82 million copies and helped redefine what young women could imagine for themselves through literature.
We look to dedicated public servants, such as Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School alum Carol Bellamy, who serves as chair of the board for the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund and was formerly president of the New York City Council, director of the Peace Corps and executive director of the United Nations’s Children’s Fund.
There’s Mary Hughes Budenbach, a prominent cryptanalyst and executive at the National Security Agency (NSA), who was one of the highest-ranking women in the agency during her tenure. We also honor Cynthia Nan Sayer, a founding member of Woody Allen's New Orleans Jazz Band.
And, of course, we celebrate Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, a 2017 graduate of Union Catholic High School in Scotch Plains and a four-time gold medalist who continues to break every record imaginable in track.
And while they are not officially from Scotch Plains, I also want to note Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan. These legendary jazz vocalists frequently stayed and performed at the historical Shady Rest Country Club, the first African-American country club in the United States.
And we acknowledge the countless women educators, advocates, business owners and community leaders throughout Scotch Plains whose dedication strengthens our neighborhoods every day. I look often to our municipal manager, Margaret Heisey, and my fellow councilmember, Elizabeth Stamler, for inspiration.
As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, it is especially meaningful to ensure that the stories of women, particularly those whose names may not have appeared prominently in the historical record, are told and preserved. Their courage, leadership, and perseverance were essential to our nation’s founding.
I encourage residents to attend the March 19 program,to learn more about the extraordinary local women who shaped our Revolutionary past, and to take time throughout this month to honor the women who continue to shape our present and future.
Together, let us celebrate Women’s History Month not only by remembering history, but by recognizing the women in our own lives who are making history every day.
