FAIRFIELD, CT – Kicking off Women's History Month, Pepperidge Farm President Irene Chang Britt joined the Fairfield Museum and History Center to host a Museum After Dark opening event Tuesday, March 4th, for the museum's newest exhibition, Wonder Women of Fairfield. The exhibition, on view through April 28th, highlights the fascinating lives of notable women who helped build and shape the Fairfield community, including Pepperidge Farm founder Margaret Rudkin, Connecticut Audubon Society founder Mabel Osgood Wright and movie star Gene Tierney.
The evening, sponsored by Moffly Media Fairfield Living magazine, was well attended and included a welcome by Ms. Chang Britt, networking over Milano cookies and Goldfish crackers provided by Pepperidge Farm, and a sneak peak preview of the exhibition. Special guests at the event included Margaret Rudkin's grandson, Tom Rudkin and great-grandson, Stuart Rudkin.
"Through her tenacity, Margaret Rudkin helped transform the face of the food industry in America and the role of women in business. The ability to be a mother and a businessperson is enabled by people like Margaret and the women showcased in this exhibit," said Ms Chang Britt said.
This spring, the Rudkin family papers relating to the early years of the Pepperidge Farm company, will be donated to the Fairfield Museum's archives and available for public viewing later this year.
The exhibition, made possible by the generous support of Bankwell, Pepperidge Farm, Bigelow Tea and Pascale Communications, provides a look into the lives and the efforts of historical women with ties to Fairfield and their achievements through portraits, biographical information, objects and documents.
Among the fascinating women from Fairfield highlighted in the exhibition are:
Margaret Rudkin, founder of Pepperidge Farm. Looking for bread that would not aggravate her son's allergies, Rudkin started baking and selling her bread out of her Fairfield home in the late 1930's. The business quickly grew into one of the country's largest baking companies, and we still enjoy their delicious products today.
Ann Shaw Carter, pilot. The first woman to obtain a helicopter pilot's license and fly a commercial helicopter in the United States. Using the money she saved up working in a Bridgeport factory during World War II as part of the war effort, she took aviation lessons and trained as part of the Women's Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) in 1944.
Annie B. Jennings, philanthropist. Born into wealth, Jennings became a pillar of Fairfield's community in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Dedicated to preserving history, she helped form both the Fairfield Historical Society and the Daughters of the American Revolution. She also donated the land that became Jennings Beach, land for the Birdcraft Sanctuary, and a building for the first high school, and opened the extensive gardens at her Sunnie-holme estate to the public during her lifetime.
Several special programs and events are planned throughout the duration of the Wonder Women of Fairfield exhibition, including:
Mother / Daughter Tea
Sunday, March 16 from 2 – 4pm
Members $5; Non-members $10
Share some quality time and a cup of tea with your favorite girl while celebrating women in history. Visit the Wonder Women of Fairfield exhibition, learn about the great contributions local women have made to our community, and enjoy a talk on the health benefits and history of tea, by Betty Johnson of Bigelow Tea. Sponsored by Pepperidge Farm and Bigelow Tea.
Lunch & Lecture: The Wonder Women of Connecticut with Katherine Wiltshire, executive director of the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame
Thursday, March 20 from 12 - 2pm
Co-sponsored with the League of Women Voters
$20 per person, includes lunch. RSVP by March 17 by calling 203-259-1598.
This presentation gives a panoramic view of the Hall of Fame's inductees, including Margaret Rudkin, founder of Pepperidge Farm.
About the Fairfield Museum and History Center
Fairfield Museum and History Center is a community cultural arts and education center established in 2007 by the 103-year old Fairfield Historical Society. The 13,000 square-foot museum, inspired architecturally by the historic warehouses along Southport harbor, includes modern galleries, a research library, a museum shop and community spaces overlooking Fairfield's Town Green. The Fairfield Museum and History Center believes in the power of history to inspire the imagination, stimulate thought and transform society.
Located at 370 Beach Road in Fairfield, CT, the Museum is open daily 10am – 4 pm. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students and seniors. Members of the Museum and children are free. Admission to the Museum is free Mondays and Tuesdays, courtesy of People's United Bank. For more information, call 203-259-1598 or visit www.fairfieldhistory.org.