Businesswoman and author Jane Plitt will be giving a lecture at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 10, in 207 Schlegel Hall on the University of Rochester's River Campus.
Plitt's lecture, titled "Using Business for Social Change: The Harper Way," details the business vision of Martha Matilda Harper, a local 19th century female entrepreneur who created the first retail franchise in America. Plitt will also discuss what Harper hoped to accomplish for working-class women through her franchises.
Harper is the subject of a book by Plitt, titled Martha Matilda Harper and the American Dream: How One Woman Changed the Face of Modern Business, which was published in May of last year.
Through her experiences as a local businesswoman, Plitt has worked to assure equality for women in the workplace. She was instrumental in opening membership to women in the Jaycees and other service organizations, including Rotary and Kiwanis. Plitt is a visiting scholar at the Anthony Center for Women's Leadership at the University.
Plitt's lecture is free and open to the public. A reception will follow. This program is co-sponsored by the Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender and Women's Studies, the Simon Business Women's Forum, and the Anthony Center for Women's Leadership. For more information, contact the Anthony Center at (585) 275-8799.