A group of citizens led by Richmond City Council member Donna Powers formed a committee to erect a memorial to the women who worked on the WWII home front. The Rosie the Riveter Memorial was placed in Marina Bay Park and dedicated on October 14, 2000.
Congressman George Miller (pictured) and other local leaders sought to have Congress designate the memorial as a National Park Service Affiliated Area.
The National Park Service sent a delegation to see the Rosie the Riveter Memorial. The NPS revealed that they’d been looking for a place to tell the WWII home front story. Due to the many home front sites still intact in Richmond, discussions opened up about siting a new national park in the city.
Rosie the Riveter Trust was formally established as a nonprofit organization to be the philanthropic partner of the anticipated new national park, with three main functions:
• Support development of the Park
• Educate the public about the Park
• Support a high-quality experience for Park visitors
A Congressional act establishing Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park was signed by President Bill Clinton on October 24.
Betty Reid Soskin became a National Park Service Ranger at the age of 85.
The Trust’s first gala dinner was held at the Ford Building Craneway.
Rosie’s Girls (now called Rosie’s Service Corps) for middle school students launched.
The Trust hired Marsha Mather-Thrift as its first Executive Director. The Trust and key community partners completed a $9 million historic renovation
of the Maritime Child Development Center.
With fanfare and about 300 people in attendance, the Park had its grand opening ceremony and ribbon-cutting for the Visitor Education Center.
“Without the Rosie the Riveter Trust ... we probably wouldn’t be standing here today.”
– Tom Leatherman, Park Superintendent, 2011–2021
The Trust purchased and donated the Von der Porten collection, one of the largest collections of home-front artifacts housed in any American museum, to the Park.
In April, a delegation of six Rosies were invited to the White House.
More than 1,000 women of all ages gathered for our first-ever Rosie Rally. And in 2016, our rally broke a Guinness World Record with 2,229 Rosies.
The first national Rosie the Riveter Day was celebrated on March 21.
In December, Congress approved the Rosie the Riveter Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019.
Rosie’s Service Corps extended to a full-year program serving middle and high school youth.
At age 100, Betty Reid Soskin retired from the National Park Service.
The inaugural Rosie the Riveter Certification Awards for gender equity in the trades were presented.
Over 1,000 4th graders returned to the Park on field trips after the Covid-19 pandemic shutdown.
Rosie the Riveter Trust marks 25 years of operation.
Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park will celebrate 25 years!