In commemoration of Jeannette Rankin’s birthday on June 11, the Jeannette Rankin Foundation is encouraging all Montanans to vote to have her image on the quarter under the American Women Quarters Program.

Karen Sterk with the Jeannette Rankin Foundation has details.

“There is a campaign to put 20 different women on the quarter,” said Sterk. “There's a form you can fill out and nominate people and we of course, think Jeannette Rankin should be on the quarter because she's the first woman in Congress and such a trailblazer.”

Sterk continued with the familiar story of Missoula, Montana native Jeannette Rankin.

“She was the only woman to vote on giving women the vote and she served in Congress two times,” she said. “She was not only the first, but she was also an advocate for social justice and racial justice, through her through her whole life for women and children, working on the laws as a lobbyist between her terms in Congress. So we just think she should be on the quarter.”

Sterk said two women have already been chosen out of 20 quarters available.

“They've decided on two women; Sally Ride and Maya Angelou so far, and they're soliciting nominations,” she said. “Well, its Jeannette Rankin's birthday on Friday the 11th, so we said let's do a campaign to get as many people to nominate her as possible. So she is a front runner to be one of those 20 women.”

Sterk provided information on how and where to place a vote for Montana’s Jeannette Rankin to have her image on the quarter.

“We have a link on our website that has a link to doing the nomination and we have the answers to all the questions that are in the nomination form so you can just do a copy and paste,” she said. “We suggest that everybody go to our website and just click on ‘Vote for Jeannette’ and it will take you to that landing page and give you all the information that you need.”

Born June 11, 1880, in Missoula, Rankin served as the sole female in the U.S. House of Representatives when she voted on the resolution for the 19th amendment that would grant women the national right to vote in 1920.

 

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