Rosie the Riveter was the star of a campaign aimed at recruiting female workers for defense industries during World War II and became the most iconic image of working women. By 1945, the percentage of women in the workforce was nearly 40%. Ellen Marshall Church was born in Cresco, Iowa. After graduating, she studied nursing and worked in a San Francisco hospital. She also was a pilot. At her own suggestion, Boeing Air Transport hired her as a nurse to calm the public's fear of flying. During World War II, Church served in the Army Nurse Corp as a captain and a flight nurse and earned numerous awards for her service, including the World War II Victory Medal.