Jeannette Rankin

Jeannette Rankin
source
Name	Jeannette Rankin
Caption	Rankin c. 1917
State	Montana
District	1st
Term start	March 4, 1917
Term end	March 3, 1919
Preceded	Tom Stout
Succeeded	John M. Evans
Term start2	January 3, 1941
Term end2	January 3, 1943
Preceded2	Jacob Thorkelson
Succeeded2	Mike Mansfield
Party	Republican
Birth date	June 11, 1880
Birth place	near Missoula, Montana Territory, U.S.
Death date	May 18, 1973 (aged 92)
Death place	Carmel, California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Montana, University of Washington, New York School of Philanthropy
Occupation	Social worker, politician, activist

Jeannette Rankin was a pioneering American politician and committed pacifist who became the first woman to hold federal office in the United States. Elected as a Republican from Montana to the United States House of Representatives in 1916, she served two nonconsecutive terms, during which she famously voted against American entry into both World War I and World War II. A lifelong advocate for women's suffrage and social reform, her career was defined by her unwavering commitment to peace and women's rights, leaving a complex and enduring legacy in American political history.

Early life and education

Born on a ranch near Missoula in the then-Montana Territory, Rankin was the eldest daughter of John Rankin, a successful rancher and builder, and Olive Pickering Rankin, a former schoolteacher. She attended the University of Montana in Missoula, graduating in 1902 with a degree in biology. Seeking broader experience, she briefly studied at the University of Washington in Seattle before moving to New York City, where she attended the New York School of Philanthropy (later the Columbia University School of Social Work). This education in social work profoundly influenced her worldview and future activism, leading her to work in San Francisco and Spokane with impoverished communities.

Early career and suffrage activism

Her experiences in social work convinced Rankin that many societal problems were rooted in the political disenfranchisement of women. She became a professional organizer for the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), campaigning successfully in her home state of Montana in 1914. Her effective speaking and organizing skills, demonstrated in campaigns in New York, California, and North Dakota, brought her national recognition. This visibility, combined with Montana's unique political climate and the support of her brother Wellington D. Rankin, a powerful Montana politician, positioned her for a historic congressional run.

Congressional career and pacifism

Elected in 1916, just before national ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, her tenure began amid the crisis of World War I. In 1917, she was one of 50 members of the 65th United States Congress to vote against the declaration of war on Germany, stating "I want to stand by my country, but I cannot vote for war." This vote ended her prospects for a Senate run. After her term, she worked as a lobbyist for peace causes, including the National Council for the Prevention of War. Elected again in 1940 amid rising global tensions, she cast the sole dissenting vote against declaring war on the Empire of Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, a vote that effectively ended her political career.

Later life and legacy

Following her second term, Rankin remained a vigorous activist, traveling internationally to study Gandhian nonviolence. In the 1960s, she led the Jeannette Rankin Brigade, a coalition of women's peace groups, in a protest against the Vietnam War in Washington, D.C.. She died in Carmel, California, in 1973. Her legacy is honored by institutions like the Jeannette Rankin Women's Scholarship Fund and the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center in Missoula. The United States Capitol features her statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection, and she is remembered as a foundational figure in both the women's rights movement and the history of conscientious objection in Congress.

Electoral history

*1916 election for Montana's at-large congressional district: Defeated Democrat Tom Stout and others. *1918 election for U.S. Senate from Montana: Lost Republican primary to incumbent Thomas J. Walsh. *1940 election for Montana's 1st congressional district: Defeated Democrat Jerry J. O'Connell. *1942 election for Montana's 1st congressional district: Did not run for re-election, succeeded by Democrat Mike Mansfield.

Category:Jeannette Rankin Category:1880 births Category:1973 deaths Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Montana Category:American pacifists Category:American women in politics Category:University of Montana alumni Category:People from Missoula, Montana