Mary Virginia "Ginger" Ackerman oral history interview, June 17, 1998

Item — othertype: Oral History

Identifier: Ackerman, G_19980617

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Interviewed by Charlene Ball: Ackerman discusses her childhood, family and early influential figures in her life. She recalls what it was like to be both a stockbroker and social activist in the late 1970s, and describes her role in the ERA campaign in Georgia. After her work with the ERA, Ackerman went on to participate in several gubernatorial campaigns and then furthered her professional career by taking a job at Dean Witter. Ackerman also discusses how her involvement in the women's movement affected her children and interfered with her professional life. In addition, she identifies what she considers to be the most difficult obstacles of the women's movement.

Dates

Creation: June 17, 1998

Creator

Ackerman, Virginia MacMahon, 1939- (Interviewee, Person)

Access Note

Oral history available for research. Please contact Special Collections and Archives about accessing this oral history.

Biographical Note

Virginia "Ginger" MacMahon Ackerman was born in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1939. She earned a bachelor's degree in business from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia and was a stockbroker with Dean Witter Reynolds in Atlanta for seven years. She also worked as a director of marketing for Mainstream Access, Inc. in Atlanta for two years. Ackerman first became involved in the ERA Georgia campaign by simply looking up the organization's number in the phonebook. She began her volunteerism by stuffing envelopes, filing and answering phones, but soon was asked to help organize the women in Cobb County. As a result of her efforts, the Cobb Coalition for the ERA was formed, affiliating with a number of different organizations including local churches, the YWCA, the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women (AAUW).