When the Hasty Pudding Theatricals named Valerie Harper their Woman of the Year, it was recognition that had been building for years — built on Emmy wins, a Golden Globe, and one of the most recognizable characters in American television comedy.

Harper was born on August 22, 1939, in Suffern, New York, and held citizenship in both the United States and France, speaking English and French. She was educated at Lincoln High School, Hunter College, and The New School, before going on to work as an actor and writer. Her career took a significant turn when she was cast as Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a role that earned her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The character resonated strongly enough that Harper went on to star in the spinoff series Rhoda, which brought her further recognition, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy. Later in her career, she was also associated with The Hogan Family.

Beyond her acting work, Harper received the Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award, pointing to a dimension of her public life that extended past her screen roles. She died on August 30, 2019, in Los Angeles, just eight days after her eightieth birthday. Her Golden Globe win for Rhoda stands as a concrete marker of the commercial and critical reception her work earned during that period of her career.