21st-century American women

Benita_Valente

Benita Valente (born October 19, 1934) is an American soprano whose career has encompassed the operatic stage as well as performance of lieder, chamber music and oratorio. She is especially lauded for her interpretations of Mozart and Handel, but she also excelled in certain Verdi roles. The New York Times once referred to her as "as gifted a singer as we have today, worldwide."

Eileen_Fulton

Eileen Fulton (born Margaret Elizabeth McLarty; September 13, 1933) is an American actress. She is known for her television role as Lisa on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns, which she played almost continuously for 50 years (with two notable interruptions) from May 18, 1960, until the show's ending on September 17, 2010.

Liz_Renay

Pearl Elizabeth Dobbins (April 14, 1926 – January 22, 2007), known professionally as Liz Renay, was an American stripper, author, and actress who appeared in John Waters' film Desperate Living (1977).

Patrice_Munsel

Patrice Munsel (born Patrice Beverly Munsil; May 14, 1925 – August 4, 2016) was an American coloratura soprano. Nicknamed "Princess Pat", she was the youngest singer ever to star at the Metropolitan Opera.

Romana_Acosta_Bañuelos

Romana Acosta Bañuelos (March 20, 1925 – January 15, 2018) was the thirty-fourth Treasurer of the United States. Appointed by President Richard Nixon on September 20, 1971, she served from December 17, 1971, to February 14, 1974.
Born in Arizona into a poor family of Mexican immigrants, Acosta was deported with her parents during the Depression. The US forced many immigrant workers back to Mexico. At the age of 18, Acosta returned as a citizen to the United States, settling in Los Angeles, California. There she soon founded a tortilla factory and became a successful businesswoman, owner of what became a multimillion-dollar business. Her Ramona's Mexican Food Products, Inc. was headquartered in Gardena, California. She also was a co-founder and president of the Pan American National Bank in East Los Angeles. She was the first Latina to serve as Treasurer of the United States (1971–1974).

Susanna_Foster

Susanna Foster (born Suzanne DeLee Flanders Larson, December 6, 1924 – January 17, 2009) was an American film actress best known for her leading role as Christine in the 1943 film version of Phantom of the Opera.

Geraldine_Stutz

Geraldine Stutz (August 5, 1924 – April 8, 2005) was an American retail groundbreaker. She was appointed president of Henri Bendel in 1957, serving for 29 years until stepping down in 1986.

Janet_Blair

Janet Blair (born Martha Janet Lafferty; April 23, 1921 – February 19, 2007) was an American big-band singer who later became a popular film and television actress.