Memories of Florence Howe

In memory of

Florence Howe

New York, NY, USA

March 17, 1929 - September 12, 2020

Mar 17, 1929 - Sep 12, 2020

In lieu of flowers

Please consider a gift to The Feminist Press.

Learn more & give
Help keep everyone in the know by sharing this memorial website.

Share

Story

Condolence

Year (Optional)

Location (Optional)

Caption

YouTube/Facebook/Vimeo Link

Caption

Who is in this photo?

Or start with a template for inspiration

About you

What was your relationship to Florence?

Cancel

By posting this memory, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Notice.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Gloria Bonder

Florence fue, es y será quien a lo largo de los años desde que la conocí me acompaña y me inspira, esté donde esté, a mantener viva la convicción de que es absolutamente necesario seguir contribuyendo a la igualdad de derechos, oportunidades y participación de todos los géneros, y a la expansión de la creatividad y el coraje de las mujeres desde cada lugar que ocupemos, país en el que vivamos, posición que conquistemos.Buenos Aires, Argentina.12 de septiembre, 2025.

Read More Read Less

Tobe Gleichen

Florence at the Feminist Press stand, Frankfurt Book Fair, 1990s

Read More Read Less

Feminist Press

Tobe Gleichen

She stayed with me often during the Frankfurt Book Fair and brought her smile, savvy, and appetite for every restaurant in the neighborhood. I see us laughing at a table in the Hinterhof or in Grossenwahn ... with Frankfurt’s apple wine and Handkäs mit Musik (marinated cheese with 0 fat smothered in chopped onions — a Frankfurt specialty). Florence was my academic feminist idol whom I hitchhiked to meet in Berlin in 1978 — the first of many global cities where we‘d join up for women’s studies conferences. She is missed; a light has gone out.

Read More Read Less

In response to "What did Florence love to do?"

Feminist Press

Comments:

Tobe Gleichen

By the way, my name is Tobe Levin von Gleichen. I‘m not sure why the website hasn‘t printed what I wrote.... Read more By the way, my name is Tobe Levin von Gleichen. I‘m not sure why the website hasn‘t printed what I wrote. By the way, my name is Tobe Levin von Gleichen. I‘m... Read more

Please consider a gift to The Feminist Press.

$130.00

Raised by 2 people

Learn more & give

Gloria Bonder

Mid seventies in Argentina:With a group of women colleagues, mostly psychologists and sociologists we decided to meet once a week to discuss women`s role in our society and analize critically the way it was interpreted by the ruling theories and professional practices at that time in our country , under a dictatorship at that time
By chance I discovered the Feminist Press and I dare to wrote a letter to her Director describing what we were doing and asking : Ms Howe do you think that we are doing women`s studies? . She responded : sure you are and I invite you to come to Copenhaguen to participate in the Second Global Women`s Conference !!!!I was shocked and at the same time I know I met an exceptional woman.
Many eyers have passed and I became a friend of Florence and evey time I have to give a conference, teach or do research on gender studies I recognized Florence as my mentor, the one who trust in me withour knowing me personally and encourage me to committ my academic, political and personal life to promote gender equality and trust as she did with me in the capacities and the courage of younger women to transform our world

Read More Read Less

Feminist Press

From Moha Ennaji: "Florence was a prolific, hard working and passionate feminist scholar and activist. I was very sad to hear Florence Howe's passing. I read the New York Times obituary. It was very moving. I had the honor and privilege to collaborate with her on Women Writing Africa: The Northern Region. I learnt a lot from her. She was very knowledgeable and very passionate about Africa and about African women's rich contributions. She left a very wonderful and respectable impression on all scholars and students who worked with her on this project. She was an excellent writer and copyeditor. She insisted on accuracy, quality, originality, and rigor. She was at times tough because she refused to accept mediocrity, but she was honest, sincere, fair, just, supportive, and very humane at heart. Women's studies and international feminism have lost a high-calibre lady and scholar. She was an exceptional woman.
May God have her in peace."

Read More Read Less

Feminist Press

From Nancy Schiffrin: "Condolences: Dr. Howe's feminist scholarship was important to my development as well as her work as an anthologist of poetry. "

Read More Read Less

Feminist Press

From Chef Rossi: "Such a hero
Such a loss
I am honored to have met her and been published by her."

Read More Read Less

Feminist Press

From Margaret (Peg) Snyder: "Of all American feminists, Florence was the one I admired the most. She was special."

Read More Read Less

Shirley Frank

I worked for and with Florence for six years at The Feminist Press, from 1977-1983, when it was located in a small house on the campus of SUNY/Old Westbury. I was hired as managing editor of the Women’s Studies Newsletter, and she was the editor. We worked together closely to chronicle and and promote the nascent field of women’s studies, publishing articles about teaching all the various fields that were included in its ever-expanding rubric, along with an annual ever-growing list of women’s studies programs in colleges and universities all across the country. Florence was also significantly involved in the creation of the National Women’s Studies Association, and I was proud to be a part of that, too. The Women’s Studies Newsletter, which started out as a four-page fold-over, grew into a substantial 32-page magazine and, ultimately, the Women’s Studies Quarterly. In addition, I was “associate editor” of the Women’s Lives/Women’s Work project which produced 12 books and teaching guides for use in high schools. Florence was indefatigable in seeking and acquiring grants for this and other projects that had the capability of changing the lives of girls and women. The Feminist Press experienced many ups and down, but Florence never gave up on the core mission. Working closely with Florence was a complicated experience because she was a complex person, but there can be no question of her valuable contribution to feminism in general and to women’s studies in particular. As women’s studies has become an integral part of the curriculum and the inclusion of women’s literature has become standard in textbooks, we are still reaping the benefits of her devotion to the cause.

Read More Read Less

Rachel Page

Shared a heart

Silke Weniger

Shared a heart

Bonnie Morris

For my entire career as a women's studies professor I have used Florence's WHO'S WHO AND WHERE IN WOMEN'S STUDIES 1973 as a resource to show my students the range of topics and teachers around the country early on. It is beside my bed even now, reminding me why I do what I do and to whom I/we owe boundless gratitude.

Read More Read Less

Gloria Bonder

Shared a heart

Jamia Wilson

2020

Florence on the cover of Women's Review of Books

Read More Read Less

Drew Stevens

I had the pleasure of working with Florence at Feminist Press for twelve years. During this time we became good friends from which a deep and abiding love blossomed. Both charming and cantankerous, I have always associated this poem by Longfellow with our founder:

There was a little girl
who had a little curl,
right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
she was very good indeed.
But when she was bad she was horrid.

Rest in peace, my dear friend.
Drew Stevens, art director, FP

Read More Read Less

Comments:

Gloria Bonder

Florence was,is and will be my mentor.I was blessed when Shell invites me to participate in the tomen conference... Read more Florence was,is and will be my mentor.I was blessed when Shell invites me to participate in the tomen conference in Copenhaguen... Read more Florence was,is and will be my mentor.I was blessed... Read more

Feminist Press

Shared a heart

Jamia Wilson

Shared a heart

Jamia Wilson

To celebrate her 90th birthday, Florence Howe told the story of how an urgent need to elevate marginalized voices led her to found the Feminist Press. We will miss you forever.

Read More Read Less