Avenger of the Week | Ruth Mandel, Director, Center for American Women and Politics at the Eagleton Institute

Ruth Mandel, left, and Charles Stile, right, at a panel discussion about the presidential election in 2016. Photo credit: Princeton Public Library [CC BY-NC 2.0], via Flickr.

Ruth Mandel, a true pioneer in the field of women in politics, passed away this week at the age of 81. Mandel was a mentor and friend to GenderAvenger co-founder Gina Glantz, who had this to say upon learning of Ruth’s passing:

At 31 years old, I ran my first political campaign campaign. The outcome was an upset victory over the dean of the House Republicans at the time. I gained a bit of notoriety, almost exclusively in Bergen County, NJ. About six months later, Ruth Mandel called me, introduced herself, and said, "you know, you are now a role model." That idea had never occurred to me. She told me, in no uncertain terms, that I was to get out and speak to Democratic groups to show them what a woman could do. She suggested starting with friendly audiences, since "being good at public speaking didn't happen automatically." I am pretty sure these quotes are exactly as she said them all those years ago.

We went on to live on different coasts and only saw each other a few times. Nevertheless, for the next four decades, I relied on her wisdom and blunt talk. I am lucky that not all that long ago we met for a three-hour lunch of reminiscing and looking forward. Her memory is truly a blessing.

Women in politics lost a true pioneer this week with the passing of Ruth Mandel. @glantzings writes a touching tribute to her friend, mentor, and @GenderAvenger’s #AvengerOfTheWeek. #GenderAvenger https://www.genderavenger.com/blog/avenger-of-the-week-ruth-mandel