THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT

Jeri Rasmussen

February 24, 1934 – July 13, 2018

“You don’t have sovereignty over your own life until you have the right to control your body.”

Abortion rights and Minnesota Democratic party activist. Fired from her job at Northwest Orient Airlines in the 1960s because she was pregnant, which motivated her political activity. With five other women, formed the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Feminist Caucus, 1973. Became the first director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood of Minnesota in 1979. Administrator of the Midwest Health Center for Women in 1989. A national board member of the National Abortion Federation in 1994.

Photo. Kate Wulf (center) and Jeri Rasmussen (right) at the 1982 DFL convention, Duluth. From box 1, folder 1 (Photographs: Annual meetings, 1974, 1981–1983) of the DFL Feminist Caucus papers, Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul. Photograph by Kathy H. Drazen.