1) In 1991, the Federal Government created the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission.
The bi-partisan commission was charged with identifying the main obstacles to the advancement of minorities and women to the highest positions of power and responsibility in different spheres of society, and to propose practices to break down these barriers. The Commission ceased to exist in January 1996.

Nita Lowey (congresswoman from New York, and a Mount Holyoke alumna ‘ 59) was a member of the Glass Ceiling Commission. The Glass Ceiling Commission gave out an annual award called the Francis Perkins-Elizabeth Hanford Dole National Award for Diversity and Excellence in American Executive Management. Frances Perkins was a Mount Holyoke alumna ‘ 02.

1)Information about the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission and its many reports is available at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University:

2) The GlassCeiling is a biweekly webzine on the glass ceiling and how to shatter it:

3) DateLine is another webzine on the glass ceiling:

4) An excellent summary of the research on the glass ceiling is provided by Jean Lipman-Blumen et.al. (1996) Women in Corporate Leadership: Reviewing a Decade’s Research (The Wellesley College Center for Research on Women). For information call: (617) 283-2510.