The first major biography in 20 years on Jeannette Rankin, written by historian Lorissa Rinehart, was released on Election Day 2025. Winning the Earthquake (St. Martin’s Press, November 2025) reintroduces Rankin, the national icon and longtime Georgia resident, who defied all odds to be elected the first woman to serve in the U.S. Congress.
On Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 3 p.m., the annual Jeannette Rankin Legacy Lecture held at the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies at the University of Georgia will feature a conversation with Rinehart discussing Rankin’s legacy and how her fearless leadership shaped the women’s rights and peace movements of the 20th century. Winning the Earthquake will be for sale at the event, and Rinehart will be signing copies.
“As one of the most radical and principled politicians in American history, Rankin’s story is as urgent today as it was in her time,” said author Lorissa Rinehart. “She challenged the status quo, fought for marginalized voices and never backed down.”
Born on a ranch in Montana in 1880 and later making Athens her longtime home, Rankin defied expectations, becoming the first woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1917 — three years before women nationwide had the right to vote. She introduced the legislation that led to the 19th Amendment and, in an extraordinary act of conviction, cast the sole vote against U.S. entry into World War II. A lifelong advocate for civil rights and peace, Rankin refused to compromise, despite the personal and political costs.
To tell Rankin’s story, Rinehart researched archives across the country, including most notably the Russell Library’s Ted Harris Collection of Jeannette Rankin Materials, including oral history recordings.
“Lorissa Rinehart brings Jeannette Rankin’s trailblazing story back into the national spotlight, where it deserves to be,” said Karen Sterk, CEO of the Rankin Foundation. “All Americans have the right to vote today because of her groundbreaking work. As the organization dedicated to forwarding Jeannette’s legacy, her impact lives on today through everyone who knows her story and continues to lift women and families.”
Founded in Athens with a bequest from Rankin’s estate in 1976 and her directive to lift “mature, unemployed women workers,” the Rankin Foundation carries Rankin’s mission forward by providing unrestricted education grants and wraparound support services to nontraditional women students in Georgia and across the country.
Visit rankinfoundation.org for more information about the Rankin Foundation and the Winning the Earthquake book tour with additional Georgia events happening in Atlanta at Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) Studios on Wednesday, Nov. 19 and at A Cappella Books at Inman Park Church Sanctuary on Thursday, Nov. 20. Attendees who RSVP to the book tour in advance at rankinfoundation.org/book-tour will be entered to win a signed copy of the biography at each event.
About author Lorissa Rinehart
Lorissa Rinehart is a women’s historian, author and speaker whose debut book, First To The Front, won the acclaim of critics and readers alike. She is the voice behind The Female Body Politic Podcast, a devoted mother and avid gardener. Winning the Earthquake is her latest book. lorissarinehart.com
About the Jeannette Rankin Foundation
The Rankin Foundation is a national leader in making higher education accessible. The Foundation’s Scholar Grant and Tribal Scholar Grant programs provide unrestricted grants and wraparound support to nontraditional students who identify as women, nonbinary or Two-Spirit and demonstrate financial need. Rankin Scholars have achieved a 97% persistence rate, the rate at which they graduate or continue with their studies. Inspired by their namesake, Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to the U.S. Congress, the Rankin Foundation transforms futures through education. rankinfoundation.org