Our Origin Story
In 1978, real-life sisters Lois Rich and Barbara Egerman created the first set of 72 supersisters™ trading cards after Lois’ then 8-year-old, Melissa, an avid little league player, and baseball card collector, asked why there weren’t any pictures of girls on the cards?
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The sisters devised an entrepreneurial plan to publish cards that would feature prominent contemporary women achievers in all fields. They spent hours in libraries compiling a list of approximately 500 prospects who were firsts in their fields and significant prize winners.
The cards showcased women leaders in many professions as varied as sports, science, entertainment, engineering, politics, and powerful corporate roles in a fun and accessible format to inspire girls – an opportunity that four decades ago was missing from much of mainstream media, marketing, toys, and textbooks.
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The launch of supersisters™ garnered worldwide media attention quickly becoming known as an innovative educational brand in women’s and girl’s empowerment.
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Honoring Our supersisters™
Approximately 500 women were invited to participate and the first 72 responses were featured on the original cards, numbered in order of the responses received.
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Represented on the original cards were women who had made distinguished contributions across a vast spectrum of influential professions including art, aviation, business, dance, education, entertainment, government, journalism, literature, medicine, music, public service, science, social science, space exploration, and sports.
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Suzy Chaffee (champion skier), Bella Abzug (social activist), Helen Reddy (singer/songwriter), Margaret Mead (anthropologist), Wendy Boglioli (champion swimmer), Rosa Parks (civil rights activist), Gloria Steinem (journalist and social political activist), Katherine Graham (publishing CEO), Ruby Dee (actress), Katherine Switzer (long distance runner), Kathy Johnson (champion gymnast), Helen Hayes (actress), and Shirley Chisolm (U.S. lawmaker) were among those included in the original series of supersisters trading cards first made available worldwide through mail order in 1979.
Many of the original supersisters are still gracing this earth with their audacity. And yet, over the past 4+ decades, we have had to say goodbye to many others. By reigniting the mission behind supersisters, we hope to continue to celebrate and honor their legacy and the path they carved for so many women who followed.
