Primera: Ruth 'Rhea' Mojica Hammer

As the Executive Director of Spanish Language Programming at a local TV station Ruth Mojica-Hammer was also the first Mexican American woman to run for congressional office in the state of Illinois. Although she didn’t win, Rhea, who lived in Chicago at the time, went on to manage a successful campaign for the first Latina elected to public office in Illinois, Cook County Commissioner Irene Hernandez.

From 1973-75 she served as the first vice-chair of the National Women’s Political Caucus. In 1976 President Carter appointed Rhea to the President's Commission for the IWY National Women's Conference held in Houston, 1977. The resolutions created at this historic gathering came to be known as "A Plan of Action for the Women of the United States" and were presented to President Carter in March of 1978.




		As the Executive Director of Spanish Language Programming at a local TV station Ruth Mojica-Hammer was also the first Mexican American woman to run for congressional office in the state of Illinois. Although she didn’t win, Rhea, who lived in Chicago at the time, went on to manage a successful campaign for the first Latina elected to public office in Illinois, Cook County Commissioner Irene Hernandez. From 1973-75 she served as the first vice-chair of the National Women’s Political Caucus. In 1976 President Carter appointed Rhea to the President's Commission for the IWY National Women's Conference held in Houston, 1977. The resolutions created at this historic gathering came to be known as "A Plan of Action for the Women of the United States" and were presented to President Carter in March of 1978.

				What is Ruth doing now? Ruth recently retired as the Executive Director of the El Paso Council for International Visitors. Ruth is currently writing her memoirs, speaks on her activist experiences and consults on local political campaigns in El Paso Texas.


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