by Mari K Eder | Jun 1, 2023 | Op-Eds and Commentary
Mary Agnes Sullivan built a remarkable 35-year career as a pioneering policewoman in New York City. She became the first woman homicide detective in the New York City Police Department, breaking down barriers and setting new standards for women in law enforcement. Her... 
by Mari K Eder | May 30, 2023 | Op-Eds and Commentary
Ellen O’Grady claimed to be the first female detective. So did Mary Sullivan, but Ellen O’Grady had been a matron first, and Mary Sullivan hadn’t been through basic police training. Additionally, as Mae knew, many claimed to be the first policewoman or the first... 
by Mari K Eder | May 27, 2023 | Op-Eds and Commentary
One of Mae Foley’s friends in the Women’s Police Reserve was Capt. Edna Pitkin. Edna was a Broadway regular, and Mae thought her a bit impulsive. One day she told Mae that she’d learned the Department wanted to test out a new bulletproof vest. She volunteered to wear... 
by Mari K Eder | May 25, 2023 | Op-Eds and Commentary
Over Memorial Day 2022, I spent some time getting to know the streets of NewYork City as Mae Foley, a new policewoman in the 1920s and 1930s, would haveknown them as part of my research for The Girls Who Fought Crime. I saw the locations for speakeasies, the route she... 
by Mari K Eder | May 18, 2023 | Op-Eds and Commentary
Where are all the women? I’m not trained as a professional historian. But I have written about historical topics and published essays, articles, and books on historical events and people. I’ve learned a lot in the process. Over the past several years I’ve discovered...