Edith Ronne #548: Antarctica’s First Lady – C.O. Fiske Papers

Published November 27, 2025 at 6:00 AM MST

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Photograph of Commander and Mrs. Ronne on skis in the Antarctic. Box 29, C.O. Fiske papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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Photograph of Edith “Jackie” Ronne next to the stove that warmed their Antarctic hut. Box 29, C.O. Fiske papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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Photograph of Commander and Mrs. Ronne in a “weasel” driving across the Antarctic, taken from The Washington Star Pictorial Magazine, March 15, 1953. Box 27, C.O. Fiske papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

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Photograph of Marquerite Bay, Antarctica, site of the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition, taken from The Washington Star Pictorial Magazine, March 15, 1953. Box 27, C.O. Fiske papers, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Edith “Jackie” Ronne [pronounced “Ronnie”] didn’t plan to spend fifteen months on an Antarctic research expedition. But when her husband, Finn Ronne mounted a privately financed Antarctic exploration trip, Jackie was persuaded to help with the planning and organizing.

At first, she only agreed to travel as far as Panama, to support last minute logistics. Then, in Panama, Finn convinced her to continue on with the expedition as a historian and newspaper correspondent.

When their ship arrived off Stonington Island in the Antarctic’s Palmer Peninsula in March of 1947, Jackie and the other 22 members of the expedition set to work constructing a base camp. During the long dark winter that followed, Jackie and Finn lived in a small hut. Jackie wrote regular articles which were transmitted by radio to the New York Times.

When summer finally came, Jackie assisted expedition scientists in making tidal observations and seismograph readings.

See the C.O. Fiske papers at UW’s American Heritage Center to learn more.