Female Detective [closed]
Closed by System on Oct 1, 2018 at 09:45
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I want to write a female detective murder mystery. I have 15 characters; 14 women and 1 man. I want the male to be the secretary for the, Cavalcade Detective Agency. He is well educated, charming, and has an odd dynamic with my protagonist, similar to Della Street and Perry Mason. I want people to try to talk to him because he is the man so my detective can intervene and take charge. The problem is with the male as a secretary what decade's would be appropriate. I know it would have been unheard of before the depression, but what place in time after the depression? I need the client's to be uncomfortable, but not shocked. I want my protagonist to be assertive, and unshakable.
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I would suggest perusing the following list: American Women Firsts.
I have listed excerpts below that definitely involved women being in charge of men, and men obviously accepting that. My conclusion is, you could plausibly put your detective anywhere in 1943 to 1972 with real-life precedent for your man to point at. Definitely in the 1950's, if you are thinking of the post WW-II vibe. In fact, I'd likely set it in the 50's, and make the man an ex-Navy soldier that had served under Anna Der-Vartainian (1950). Or perhaps a former IRS agent that served under Georgia Neese Clark, the first woman Treasurer of the USA (1949).
So he's got some chops of his own (soldiering or investigating or mathematical), and is comfortable with his woman boss, and likes the excitement and/or law enforcement aspect of the work.
1943 Nellie Neilson was the first woman to serve as president of the American Historical Association.
1949 Georgia Neese Clark was the first woman Treasurer of the United States, under President Harry Truman.
1950 16 December: Anna Der-Vartanian became the U.S. Navy's first female master chief petty officer; this made her the first female master chief in the Navy, as well as the first female E-9 in the entire U.S. Armed Services.
1953 Oveta Culp Hobby was the first woman to serve as Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.
1972 Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington were the first women in the United States promoted to brigadier general.
1972 Katharine Graham was the first female Fortune 500 CEO, as CEO of the Washington Post company.
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