Ernesta Drinker Ballard

Ernesta Drinker Ballard (1920 – August 11, 2005) was an American horticulturalist and feminist. Among the founders of the National Organization for Women, the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, and Women's Way, Ballard was the executive director of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society from 1963 to 1981, credited by The New York Times with bringing its annual Philadelphia Flower Show to "international prominence."

Women's Way annually awards the Ernesta Drinker Ballard Book Prize to a recently published female author who has helped make headway in the dialogue about women’s rights through her work. The 2012 winner was Rebecca Traister for her book Big Girls Don’t Cry.

Ernesta Drinker had dedicated her life to her family which included her four children and her husband who earned a comfortable living. Even though, Ernesta felt like she was living the American dream, she was lacking accomplishments in her professional career. This was something that was important to her and she wanted to do something for herself to feel accomplished in her professional career.

At an early age, Ernesta’s father, Henry Drinker, instilled in her that the only meaningful role women can have is to be a wife and a mother. Ernesta’s father would pay little to no attention to her and would only spend time with his sons. Ernesta’s father was a well-known lawyer. Ernesta expressed her desire of becoming a lawyer and encountered no support from her father since she was only expected to get married and become a wife. Her father would constantly send hidden messages that women were only supposed to be nice and enchanting and that men’s capabilities were higher than women’s. Unconsciously, these hidden messages stayed with Ernesta for 30 years.

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