Melissa Fay Greene to speak at Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund’s Annual Dinner
Athens, Ga. — Jeanette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund is pleased to announce that its 2009 Annual Dinner keynote speaker will be Melissa Fay Greene.
Greene, a Georgia native, is an award winning author and journalist who has written for many publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post and Life. Her thought provoking works address topics such as civil rights, African orphans and coal mine disasters.
Two of Greene’s books have been finalists for the National Book Award and Praying for Sheetrock was named one of the top 100 works in all journalism of the 20th century.
Greene’s most recent book, There Is No Me Without You, addresses the issue of AIDS through the story of a foster mother in Ethiopia. It has been named the best book of the year by Publishers Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, Chicago Tribune, and Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund was chartered in 1976 with money bequeathed by its namesake, the first woman elected to congress. It gives educational scholarships to low-income women over the age of 35, who have a vision of how their education will benefit themselves, their families and their communities. Since 1978, JRF has awarded more than $1 million to more than 700 women nationwide.
The Annual Dinner is a celebration of JRF’s supporters and scholars. It is held each year at the Classic Center in Athens, Ga. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased by going to JRF’s Web site or by calling 706-208-1211. For more information about JRF or to purchase tickets, please visit www.rankinfoundation.org.
Jeannette Rankin Foundation awards scholarships annually to low-income women 35 and older who are in accredited college or vocational programs. JRF is one of the few organizations in the U.S. to serve older women students. 97.2% of respondents to the 2006-2008 JRF scholar surveys have graduated or are making academic progress.
