Join for the Moore County Historical Association’s first lecture of 2025. The Association is partnering with Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities for this first presentation by author Marion Elliott Deerhake titled, Jane Pratt: North Carolina’s First Congresswoman. Author Marion Deerhake will discuss her new book, Jane Pratt: North Carolina’s First Congresswoman. This free author event takes place on Thursday, February 6th, from 11:30am-12:30pm.

“On May 25th, 1946, after 22 years as a congressional secretary, Jane Pratt was elected as North Carolina’s first congresswoman. The press reported with great interest how “Miss Jane” won by a landslide with only a $100 campaign budget. She hit the ground running, voting to pass the Atomic Energy Act, working tirelessly to mitigate a century of flood disasters in Western North Carolina, and serving the constituents she knew so well. Her career spanned the roaring twenties, the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. Her decision not to run for re-election offers insight into why 46 years passed before the state elected another woman to Congress”. Learn how our own Katharine Boyd assisted with Pratt’s campaign.

Author, Marion Elliott Deerhake is an environmental scientist with more than 30 years of experience in research, outreach, and communication. She has co-authored articles in peer-reviewed journals and more than 90 technical reports and conference papers. She has volunteered on state and local environmental committees for decades in addition to nonprofit service. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Books will be available for purchase from the Country Bookshop. For more information, CLICK HERE.