The Mary Jane Werthan Award, named in honor of the first woman to join the Vanderbilt Board of Trust, is presented annually to an individual who has contributed significantly to the advancement of women at Vanderbilt University. The award honors three of Werthan's key traits: vision, persistence, and extraordinary skill in interpersonal and institutional relations. It recognizes the debt that women at Vanderbilt University owe to those individuals who have had the vision to see how things ought to be, the courage to persist in their hopes over time, and the skills necessary to bring new attitudes and practices into being. The Mary Jane Werthan Award offers tribute to the humor, intelligence, and graceful determination of those individuals whose work has enhanced our entire community.