Named one of ten outstanding women in the United States

On April 1, 1936, contemporary reports recognized Josephine Roche as one of the ten outstanding women in the United States, a national honor that highlighted her achievements in labor reform, public health, and government service.[5]

This recognition came at a time when Roche was serving as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, supervising the U.S. Public Health Service and continuing to advocate for social insurance and workplace protections. Her earlier leadership of the Rocky Mountain Fuel Company—where she had invited unionization and negotiated pioneering contracts—combined with her New Deal policymaking to make her a symbol of progressive woman leadership in both industry and government.[11][16]

Being named among the nation’s outstanding women was not merely a ceremonial accolade. It signaled broad public acknowledgment that women could shape economic and social policy at the highest levels, and it placed Roche alongside other leading women professionals and activists of the era. Encyclopedia.com notes that 1936 marked her emergence as a nationally recognized figure whose work bridged business, labor, and the state.[5]

The April 1936 distinction also reinforced her platform for further reforms, enhancing her visibility as she continued to press for federal responsibility in health care and for stronger protections for workers and children. In a media landscape that often marginalized women’s achievements, this honor helped cement her reputation as a relentless reformer and demonstrated that her combination of industrial leadership and New Deal policymaking was seen as exemplary on a national scale.