Jennie Douglas

Jeanette L. Douglass, also referred to as Jennie Douglas or Jane Douglas, was the first woman officially hired to work for at the U.S. Treasury. She was the first in a cohort of 70 women hired by U.S. Treasurer Francis E. Spinner in 1862, sometimes known as the First Treasury Girls. Douglas' role was to trim money, which at the time had to be physically cut by hand. Her legacy has been recognized by Janet Yellen, the first woman secretary of the Treasury and Chair of the Federal Reserve. Douglas is sometimes attributed to having been the first woman to hold an appointed position in the Federal government.