Victoria Jackson to be inducted into National Women’s Hall of Fame

The organization, which has been honoring and celebrating the contributions of women since 1969, announced its 2017 honorees this week. Cosmetics entrepreneur Victoria Jackson is among the 10 women to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this September.

The National Women’s Hall of Fame selected Victoria Jackson for this honor because of her work reinventing how medical research can happen.

“In the course of creating, funding and leading [the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation] with her husband, Ms. Jackson has shaped a paradigm-breaking approach to medical research,” explains the profile of Jackson that the organization ran as part of a post announcing this year’s inductees.

Beauty first

Some 30 years ago Jackson launched her eponymous cosmetics line and became well known demoing and selling the product through American Telecast infomercials.  

While the exposure was valuable, her contract with AT turned out not to be: “the cosmetics line she created has probably earned millions for the company that produces her infomercials, American Telecast of Paoli, Pa., for several years Jackson was earning a relatively modest $3,000 to $8,000 a month,” as Jennifer Pendleton reported for the LA Times in the mid-90s.

Jackson has long since cleared that business hurdle and remains active in the beauty industry. The National Women’s Hall of Fame profile of Jackson notes that she’s “a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship and her iconic beauty line, Victoria Jackson Cosmetics, is still going strong." 

Results focused

Jackson’s vison to create and run the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation is what has earned her the recognition of the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Her work created a network of researchers, patients, allies, and stakeholders around the world to collaborate on gathering data and innovating care that gets results. The Hall of Fame believes that this unique community has a “significant positive impact on the treatment of autoimmune and related diseases.”

Jackson is in good company as this year’s inductees join over 250 other accomplished women on the organization’s honor roll. The 2017 cohort includes, Matilda Raffa Cuomo, Temple Grandin, Lorraine Hansberry, Sherry Lansing, Clare Boothe Luce, Aimée Mullins, Carol A. Mutter, Janet D. Rowley, and Alice Waters.