Laura

There was a woman, whose work should have been in every pocket today. In 1932 she won the contest for the new quarter, which would be issued to commemorate the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth. However, Andrew Mellon, then Secretary of the Treasury, selected a design by competitor John Flanagan, largely due sexism.

Laura Gardin Fraser’s design was not lost forever. In 1999 the United States Mint issued a gold $5 commemorative featuring Laura Gardin Fraser’s original design for the 1932 Washington Quarter. She however died in 1966 and never saw this achievement.

http://news.coinupdate.com/the-life-and-work-of-laura-gardin-fraser-3389/