Mary Kay Ash Named Among Civil Rights Icons, Best-Selling Artists, and Business Legends on USA TODAY Women of the Century List

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment and women’s right to vote in the United States, USA TODAY released the Women of the Century USA TODAY 100, a list of female icons in entertainment, politics, civil rights, sports, arts, science and business who made the largest impact on American society in the last century. Mary Kay Ash, legendary business executive and philanthropist, was named among the honorees.

Mary Kay Ash founded Mary Kay Cosmetics (now Mary Kay Inc.) in 1963 following a successful career in sales. After being passed up for promotion by a man one too many times, Mary Kay put her business savvy to use to build a company by women, for women. 57 years later, Mary Kay products and independent beauty consultants are in nearly 40 countries around the world. Before her death in 2001, Mary Kay also founded the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation, which has raised over $90 million for domestic violence victims and cancer research.

“Mary Kay was always ahead of her time,” said Ryan Rogers, Chief Investment Officer of Mary Kay Inc. and grandson of Mary Kay Ash. “She would’ve been honored and humbled to be named among so many incredible women in the Women of the Century USA TODAY 100. But Mary Kay’s personal ‘top women’ list would have been much longer. She saw potential in every woman.”

Fellow honorees include Dolly Parton, Gloria Estefan, Anna May Wong, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Billie Jean King, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou and “Hidden Figures” Mary Jackson, Katherine Coleman Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan. Women were selected through nominations and then narrowed down through rigorous debate by expert panelists in every state across the nation.

About Mary Kay

One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her beauty company more than 56 years ago with three goals: develop rewarding opportunities for women, offer irresistible products, and make the world a better place. That dream has blossomed into a multibillion-dollar company with millions of independent sales force members in nearly 40 countries. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skin care, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements and fragrances. Mary Kay is committed to empowering women and their families by partnering with organizations from around the world, focusing on supporting cancer research, protecting survivors from domestic abuse, beautifying our communities, and encouraging children to follow their dreams. Mary Kay Ash’s original vision continues to shine—one lipstick at a time. Learn more at MaryKay.com.