Read was one of the founding members of the National Organization for Women in 1966.
"[5] In 1968, Read was appointed to be Alverno College's sixth president.
In 1975, President Gerald Ford appointed Read to the National Commission on the Observance of International Women’s Year.
[6] In 1985, Read was elected to the Wisconsin Academy of Arts and Sciences.
In 2003, Read received an honorary doctorate from Marquette University.