"Good driving has nothing to do with sex. It's all above the collar," said Alice Huyler Ramsey (February 1975), and she should know! Alice Huyler Ramsey (1887 – 1983) was a woman of two great automotive firsts. She was the first woman to drive across the United States from coast to coast, and the first woman to be inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.
Alice Ramsey graduated from Vassar College in 1907. After graduation, Alice became housewife and mother, living in Hackensack, New Jersey. On June 9, 1909, the 22 year old and 3 friends began a 3,800 mile journey. Their trip started at Hell's Gate in Manhattan, New York and took them to San Francisco, California. They completed the journey in a green Maxwell 30 touring car. It took Alice Ramsey fifty-nine days to drive across the country. Alice's traveling companions were two older sisters-in-law and another female friend. None of these women could drive a car and it was the adventure of a lifetime for them all. They arrived at the St James Hotel in San Francisco, CA amid great fanfare on August 7.
Between 1909 and 1975, Alice Ramsey drove across the country more than 30 times. In her later years, she lived in Covina, California. In 1961 she wrote and published the story of her journey, Veil, Duster, and Tire Iron. On October 17, 2000, she became the first woman inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.
Resources:
http://aliceramsey.org/
http://www.partsandpeople.com/Motorsports/article/2164
http://www.automotivehalloffame.org/honors/index.php?cmd=view&id=177&type=inductees
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Huyler_Ramsey
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