Edith "Jackie" Ronne - Explorer of Earth's Southernmost Continent

Under an eternal blue sky with the sun gleaming, you are surrounded by snowcapped mountains and great icebergs that drift lazily over an icy sea. The scene is magnificent but also desolate. This is what Edith "Jackie" Ronne (1919-2009) experienced when her expedition's ship successfully approached Stonington Island on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. She described that when their 183-foot ship entered the Antarctic Circle, the zone surrounding Antarctica, its wooden hull had to traverse through the ice-packed waters surrounding the continent. Upon anchoring and making their way ashore, her team unloaded their cargo, which consisted of scientific equipment, two years of rations, petrol, coal, three aeroplanes, and several dogs. Through this 1947 expedition, Jackie became the first American woman to set foot on Antarctica and the first women to endure an Antarctic winter.

Edith "Jackie" Ronne (1919-2009). Image from wikimedia commons

"Heavily crevassed glaciers descended through the majestic mountain passes ending in a 200 foot high frozen ice shelf which, with few exceptions, encircles the 5,200,000 square mile land mass."

Jackie was born Edith Ann Maslin in Baltimore, Maryland, but took on the name "Jackie", after her father's middle name "Jack". She attended George Washington University, where she received a degree in History. Upon completing her University studies, Jackie was employed by the National Geographic Society and later the U.S. State Department. She married Norwegian-American explorer Finn Ronne. Several years after their marriage, Jackie joined The Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (1946-1948) after being persuaded by Finn, who at the time was in charge of the expedition. During the 15 month campaign, Jackie and Finn endured the harsh Antarctic winter in a 3.6-meter hut.

Antarctica. Photo by Paul Carroll on Unsplash

On her stay in Antarctica, Jackie participated in geographical studies and assisted the team's seismologist. During the summer months, the research team explored Antarctica's vastness and made several scientific discoveries. One such geological achievement was documenting the most extensive newly discovered land in Antarctica, aptly named the Ronne Ice shelf, after Jackie. The team continued their scientific progress by exploring more than 250,000 square miles of the continent.

In her 2004 memoir 'Antarctica's First Lady', Jackie explains that while the venture was challenging, it had been the catalyst for many opportunities in her life. In the decades following her expedition, she wrote and lectured extensively on her experience. By the time she passed away in 2009, Jackie Ronne had returned to Antarctica fifteen times.