American Women Quarters, Congressional Medal Designs Recommended

Designs for the 2025 American Women quarters and a gold Congressional medal were among the submissions considered by members of the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC) when it met Oct. 24-25.

The CCAC advises the Secretary of the Treasury on any theme or design proposals relating to circulating coinage, bullion coinage, commemorative coins, Congressional gold medals, and national and other medals.

Following are descriptions of the honorees and chosen designs.

2025 AMERICAN WOMEN QUARTERS

The American Women Quarter program honors five women per year, beginning in 2022 and continuing through 2025. The women featured on these quarters were selected in accordance with a process approved by the Secretary of the Treasury and in consultation with the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative (Smithsonian), the National Women’s History Museum, and the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus.

Obverse Design

The common obverse for this program depicts a portrait of George Washington. The design was originally composed and sculpted by Laura Gardin Fraser as a candidate entry for the 1932 quarter, which honored the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth. The inscriptions are “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “2024.”

Reverse Designs

The reverse designs for this program “shall be emblematic of the accomplishments and contributions of one prominent woman of the United States and may include contributions to the United States in a wide spectrum of accomplishments and fields, including but not limited to suffrage, civil rights, abolition, government, humanities, science, space, and arts, and should honor women from ethnically, racially, and geographically diverse backgrounds.”

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Ida B. Wells

Ida B. Wells was a prolific educator, journalist, feminist, businesswoman, civil rights activist, and leader. She was a founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), a founder of the National Association of Colored Women’s Club, a founder of the Alpha Suffrage Club, and a founder of the Negro Fellowship League. Although she battled sexism, racism, and violence, she used her voice and the power of the pen to shed light on the conditions of African Americans throughout the South. She endured a considerable amount of criticism and even threats to her life but never gave up her fight for equality and justice, which lasted almost 50 years.

In 1892, after the lynching of three of her friends who owned a grocery store that rivaled a white-owned store, her life changed. She wrote about and investigated this targeted and senseless act of cruelty and violence and many others like it. These articles enraged white locals so much that they burned her printing press while she was away, and the threats to her life became so great that she was forced to flee the South. The threats only fueled her determination to pursue justice and truth-telling, which would raise her to national and international acclaim over the next decade of her life.

Throughout her career, Wells balanced motherhood and activism and began working with Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Dubois, Booker T. Washington, and other well-known civil rights activists as a member of the Black women’s clubs. She also became active in the suffrage movement. While on a speaking tour abroad, she openly confronted white women in the suffrage movement who ignored the plight of Black people.

As a wife and mother, Wells was so deeply committed to advancing the rights of women and advocating for children that she ran in the Illinois state senate race in 1930 at a time when it was inconceivable for any woman, let alone a Black woman, to run for political office. Although she lost the election, as Angela Tate, curator of Women’s History at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, wrote in her letter of recommendation, this loss “reveal[s] less about the viability of her platforms and more about how often society wanted to suppress and silence this powerful and empowering woman.” 

She also writes that “as an educator, journalist, suffragist, feminist, and civil rights activist, Wells exemplifies the extraordinary qualities of women, while also reflecting the ways that African American women saw their work as benefiting the wider community.” Wells “broke the mold for the ‘proper’ behavior for women in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.”

All submitted designs include a likeness of Ida B. Wells with the required inscriptions “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” the common inscription “IDA B. WELLS” and the denomination, expressed as either “QUARTER DOLLAR” or “25¢.”

Design 06 and 06A feature Wells as she gazes courageously and proudly toward the future. Design 06 includes the additional inscriptions “JOURNALISM, SUFFRAGE, CIVIL RIGHTS.” Design 06A includes the additional inscriptions “JOURNALIST, SUFFRAGIST, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST.”

CCAC members chose design 06 with a motion to include the lettering from 06A and the addition of a necklace.

Design 06A is the family’s first preference, while Design 06 is the second preference.

Juliette Gordon Low

Juliette Magill Kinzie Gordon was born in Savannah, Ga., on Oct. 31, 1860, and was given a nickname that followed throughout her life: “Daisy.” 

She was educated at elite boarding schools before marrying William (Willie) Mackay Low and moving to England. Unfortunately, the marriage dissolved, and Willie died unexpectedly in 1905 amid divorce proceedings. Widowed and childless, Low needed to find a new direction for her life.

In 1911, while in Europe, Low met Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts. His sister Agnes established Girl Guides in the United Kingdom as a sister organization to the Boy Scouts. Taken with the ideals of Girl Guiding, Low wanted to start a similar organization in the United States. She was committed to building a girl-led movement.

On March 12, 1912, Low founded the Girl Scouts organization in America in Savannah, Ga. She envisioned an organization that was accessible to all girls, regardless of differences, and a place where girls could develop leadership and advocacy skills to better their lives, as well as nurture their strengths and passions. She devoted her life to promoting and growing the Girl Scouts to the international organization it is today, with nearly 2 million adult and girl members worldwide. Low personally embodied many of the traits found throughout Girl Scouts. For example, service was a cornerstone of Juliette Gordon Low’s life and is an important part of the Girl Scout experience. During the Spanish-American War, Low joined her mother in nursing wounded soldiers in Camp Miami, which was commanded by her father. During World War I, she urged the Girl Scouts to support soldiers, soldiers’ families and war victims overseas.

She founded a movement that prepared girls for leadership eight years before women gained the right to vote in the U.S. and emphasized civic responsibility, motivating girls to make their communities better places through service. 

All submitted designs include a likeness of Juliette Gordon Low in her Girl Scout uniform along with the required inscriptions “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” the common inscription “JULIETTE GORDON LOW” and the denomination, expressed as either “QUARTER DOLLAR,” “25 CENTS” or “25¢.”

CCAC’s recommended design depicts Juliette Gordon Low next to the original Girl Scout Trefoil. On the outer rim is the additional inscription “FOUNDER of the GIRL SCOUTS of the,” which is paired with the required inscription “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. “ 

Dr. Vera Rubin

Dr. Vera Rubin was a trailblazing astronomer who pioneered work on galaxy rotation. Her observations provided the first persuasive evidence of dark matter, a major scientific discovery that transformed our understanding of the universe. During the 1970s, Dr. Rubin’s work produced clear observational evidence that confirmed the vast majority of the mass in the universe (approximately 85 percent) is invisible and unknown in origin and character. 

Rubin fought sexism throughout her education and career. Even her research data was often met with skepticism by her male peers. Rubin, however, persevered and refused to let those challenges deter her. She also became an active champion of women’s rights and gender equality. At conferences, for example, she would call ahead to make sure women were included in the mix of keynote speakers. At a time when women were not granted access to state-of-the-art telescopes such as the Palomar Observatory, Rubin asked why. She was told that this was because, at Palomar, there were no restroom facilities for women. When she persevered and was granted observing time in 1965, she cut out a piece of paper in the shape of a skirt, taped it to the stick figure on the men’s room, and reportedly announced, “Now you have a ladies’ room.” Rubin not only became the first woman to officially gain access to Palomar, but also she played a key role in helping other women gain access to these observatories.

In addition to her research, Rubin mentored other women astronomers, encouraged women to study science, and fought for gender parity in the sciences. Rubin pushed for the representation of women on scientific committees, as conference speakers, and as professors. With abundant passion for her work and the support of her family, Rubin overcame every obstacle and kept pushing the boundaries of male-dominated academia.      

All submitted designs include a likeness of Dr. Vera Rubin along with the required inscriptions “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” the common inscriptions “DR. VERA RUBIN” and “DARK MATTER,” and the denomination expressed as either “QUARTER DOLLAR” or “25¢.”

CCAC’s recommended design is a profile of Dr. Rubin gazing upward, smiling as she contemplates the cosmos. She is surrounded by a spiral galaxy and other celestial bodies.

Stacey Park Milbern

Stacey Park Milbern was born on May 19, 1987, in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in an Army family in Fort Bragg, N.C. She was an unapologetic, disabled, brilliant woman of color and very proud of her Korean-American heritage. She propelled her intellect, humor, compassion, and wheelchair into the disability justice movement.

Milbern, who had congenital muscular dystrophy, found her passion in advocating for disability rights as a teenager when she attended a youth leadership conference for persons with disabilities in Washington, D.C. She was instrumental in the writing and passage of the law requiring disability history to be taught in North Carolina high schools while she was still a high school student herself. Milbern worked with many state and local organizations, and the governor of North Carolina appointed her to the North Carolina Commission for the Blind as well as the statewide Independent Living Council. She also wrote a lot, and, just like most young people from her generation, she used social media platforms to her advantage to connect with friends, organize, and speak out. Around 2009, with a few other young disability activists, she created the Disability Justice Movement, moving disability rights activism into a deeper understanding of what is needed for real justice and change beyond laws and legislation. Also, in affirming that no one is disposable, they had a keen understanding that disability is also part of the struggles and the fight against racism, sexism, and oppression.

Milbern continued her work for disability justice throughout her twenties as a visionary writer, inspirational leader/organizer, and sought-after keynote speaker. She served on important boards, allied with other social justice organizations, and delivered speeches across the United States. On stage, she captivated audiences, not by the strength of her voice but through the wisdom of her words and the power of her convictions.

Her leadership and community organization skills brought her to the attention of then-President Barack Obama, who appointed her in 2014 to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities as an advisor.

Milbern, along with friend Andraéa LaVant, worked on promoting the Netflix documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution.” The film is about a ground-breaking summer camp for teens with disabilities turned activists for disability rights in the 1970s. They were co-impact producers promoting the documentary, creating initiatives such as a virtual camp that extended the movie experience by connecting disabled people and sharing their journeys to activism. What was initially supposed to be an eight-week-long experience with the hopes of 500 attendees became a 16-week camp that hosted an incredible range of guest speakers and nearly 10,000 attendees from around the world. Their attempt to broaden the impact of the film evolved into a new disability revolution. Sadly, Milbern’s health declined over time, and she passed away on her 33rd birthday on May 19, 2020. 

Although her life was cut way too short, it is proof that, as Dr. Katherine Ott, curator of the Division of Medicine and Science, National Museum of American History (NMAH), wrote in her letter of support for Milbern’s inclusion into the American Women quarters program: “ancestors can be any age.” She writes, “Milbern’s place is in the ancestral history of bringing forth justice, along with those who mentored her and those who will be mentored by knowing about her life. She died before transforming disability rights and justice in the minds of typically abled Americans, but she was on the way to that. A short life does not necessarily mean a short legacy, especially in disability justice. Milbern was a leader, a visionary, a fierce and compassionate activist for disability justice, ablaze with youth, purpose, and commitment.”

All submitted designs include a likeness of Stacey Park Milbern along with the required inscriptions “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” the common inscription “STACEY PARK MILBERN,” and the denomination, expressed as either “QUARTER DOLLAR” or “25¢.”

CCAC’s recommended design depicts Milbern speaking to an audience. She places one finger on her tracheostomy tube while her right-hand faces palm up in a gesture meant to evoke a genuine exchange of ideas and the building of allyship. An additional inscription is “DISABILITY JUSTICE.”

Althea Gibson

Althea Gibson was born on Aug. 25, 1927, to Daniel and Annie Bell Gibson, sharecroppers on a cotton farm near Silver, S.C. In 1930, the family moved to Harlem in New York City. Gibson was a very athletic child who grew up playing paddle tennis on a section of 143rd Street between Lenox and Seventh Avenues that was barricaded during the day so neighborhood kids could play sports under the supervision of the Police Athletic League.

Gibson worked fiercely as she rose to the top of the tennis ranks, breaking the color barrier to the sport in 1950 when she became the first Black person to compete in the U.S. Open, then known as the U.S. Nationals. Although she lost narrowly to the reigning Wimbledon champion, the following year, she won her first international title, the Caribbean Championship in Jamaica in 1951. After graduating from Florida A&M, Gibson began teaching physical education at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., but continued her tennis competitions. In 1955, the U.S. State Department sent her on a goodwill tour of Asia and, once overseas, remained abroad, winning 16 of 18 tennis tournaments in Europe and Asia.

1957 was a banner year of more firsts for Gibson, who became not only the first Black woman to appear on the covers of Sports Illustrated and Time magazines but also the first Black person to be voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press, an honor she would win again the following year. In late 1958, after having won 56 national and international singles and doubles titles, including 11 Grand Slam championships, Gibson retired from amateur tennis at the age of 31. At the age of 37, Gibson became the first Black woman to join the Ladies Professional Golf Association in 1964, breaking course records during individual rounds in several tournaments until 1977.

“Everything Althea had to do was three times harder than it was for a non-person of color,” said Katrina Adams, a former professional tennis player and the first Black person to serve as the president of the United States Tennis Association. “For me, what she did was transcendent.” Bonnie Morris, professor of women’s sports history at the University of California at Berkeley and a member of the National Women’s History Museum’s Scholars Advisory Council, writes, “Like many Black athletes before her, Gibson became the face of American achievement in a global sports platform while navigating, with dignity and poise, racist pushback against her success from the very white tennis world back home. Her ground-breaking wins paved the way for future Black talent in tennis.”

All submitted designs include a likeness of Althea Gibson along with the required inscriptions “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” the common inscription “ALTHEA GIBSON” and the denomination, expressed as either “QUARTER DOLLAR” or “25¢.”

The chosen design features a stylized depiction of Gibson lunging with her tennis racket.

BENJAMIN BERELL FERENCZ CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL

The Benjamin Berell Ferencz Congressional Gold Medal Act awards Benjamin Berell Ferencz a Congressional Gold medal in recognition of his service to the United States and international community during the post-World War II Nuremberg trials and his lifelong advocacy for international criminal justice and the rule of law.

Ferencz was born on March 11, 1920, in present-day Romania and was just 10 months old when his family emigrated to the United States, settling in New York City. A studious Ferencz earned a scholarship to Harvard Law School and, after graduating with honors, enlisted in the Army in 1943. He then joined an anti-aircraft artillery battalion preparing for the invasion of France and, under General Patton, fought in many of the major campaigns throughout Europe.

As the atrocities of the Nazi regime were uncovered, Ferencz was transferred to the newly created War Crimes Branch of the Army. Its mission was to gather evidence that could be used in a court of law to prosecute those responsible for those heinous crimes. He documented the horrors perpetrated by the Third Reich, visiting concentration camps as they were liberated. At the end of 1945, Ferencz, who had been awarded five battle stars during his time in the service, was honorably discharged from the Army with the rank of Sergeant of Infantry.

In 1946, Ferencz was recruited to join the legal team working on the Nuremberg tribunals, a novel independent court established to try top-ranking Nazi officials for crimes perpetrated during the course of the war, including crimes committed during the Holocaust.

By 1948, at age 27, he was appointed chief prosecutor in the Einsatzgruppen Trial, in what the Associated Press called “the biggest murder trial in history.” The court found 20 Nazi officials guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and membership in a criminal organization complicit in systematic genocide. After the end of the Nuremberg trials, Ferencz fought for compensation and other forms of restitution for victims and survivors of the Holocaust. Ferencz then entered private law practice, but the impact of his work after WWII gradually drew him back to the cause that would become his life’s work.

From the 1970s until his death in 2023, Ferencz worked tirelessly to promote the development of international mechanisms to outlaw and punish aggressive war and the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. His efforts contributed to the establishment of the International Criminal Court and to the recognition of aggression as an international crime. Ferencz was a tireless advocate for international criminal justice and the conviction that the rule of law offers the world a sustainable path to stem conflict and reach peaceful conclusions to geopolitical disputes. His unwavering goal was to establish a legal precedent that would encourage a more humane and secure world in the future.

Even at the age of 101, Ferencz was still actively giving speeches worldwide about lessons learned during his extraordinary career. He was compelled by the imperative to “replace the law of force with the force of law,” promoting judicial mechanisms that resolve conflict. He often told young people to “never give up” because the fight for peace and justice is worth the long struggle ahead.

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Ferencz died on April 7, 2023, the last surviving prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials.

Common inscriptions across obverse designs include “BENJAMIN B. FERENCZ,” “LAW NOT WAR,” and “A PLEA OF HUMANITY TO LAW.”

Common inscriptions across reverse designs include “ACT OF CONGRESS 2023,” “LAW NOT WAR,” and “INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE”

The recommended obverse design depicts Ferencz at a podium during the Nuremberg trials and the inscription “1920-2023.”

The recommended reverse prominently features “LAW NOT WAR” above the scales of justice surrounded by olive branches. It also includes five stars to represent Ferencz’s military service. It is the liaison’s preferred design.