Who was Clara Barton?

Clarissa Harlowe Barton -- Clara, as she was known -- is one of the most honored women in American history for being a true pioneer as well as an outstanding humanitarian. Her most notable accomplishment is founding the American Red Cross organization.

Born on Christmas Day, 1821, in Massachusetts, Clara began teaching school in 1837, a time when most teachers were men. Later she moved to Washington, DC and was among the first women to gain employment in the federal government.

During the Civil War, when she was nearly 40 years old, she became known as the "Angel of the Battlefield" because she risked her life to bring supplies and support to soldiers in the field during the Civil War.

At age 60, she founded the American Red Cross in 1881 and led it for the next 23 years. The Red Cross, with Barton at its head, devoted itself largely to disaster relief for the first 20 years of its existence. She resigned as president of the organization in 1904.

She died on April 12, 1912, at her home in Glen Echo, Maryland. She had, as they say, "a life well lived."