Jackie Ronne

Edith Jackie Ronne was an American explorer of Antarctica. She was the first woman in the world to be a working member of an Antarctic expedition, which happened from 1947 to 1948. Her important role helped open up exploration for women in tough and distant places.

The huge Ronne Ice Shelf in Antarctica was named after her by her husband. This shows how much she meant to the study and discovery of that cold, icy land. Jackie Ronne lived from October 13, 1919, until June 14, 2009, and her work still inspires people today.

Biography

Edith Jackie Ronne was born on October 13, 1919, in Baltimore, Maryland. She studied history at George Washington University and later worked at the U.S. State Department. She married Finn Ronne in 1941. In 1946–1948, she joined her husband’s expedition and became the first American woman to step on the Antarctic continent. She and Jennie Darlington were the first women to spend the winter in Antarctica with the team.

Ronne kept records of the expedition and wrote news stories about it. She returned to Antarctica many times, including a flight to the South Pole in 1971 and a visit to her old base in 1995. She was a member of The Explorers Club and led the Society of Woman Geographers from 1978 to 1981. She passed away on June 14, 2009, at the age of 89.

Legacy

Edith Ronne Land was named after her by her husband, Commander Finn Ronne, who helped map a big, unknown part of Earth. Later, when they found out it was mostly covered in ice, the name changed to Edith Ronne Ice Shelf. At her request, her first name was taken off so it could be called the Ronne Ice Shelf. This name matches another big ice shelf called the Ross Ice Shelf and honors all three Ronne explorers, including her father-in-law, Martin Rønne, who was part of Amundsen's South Pole expedition.

Ronne received a special award from Columbian College of George Washington University and helped set up a Polar Section at the National Naval Museum.