Accomplishments Bring Janey Hart Recognition in Hall of Fame
By Karen Gould

At the St. Ignace City Marina on the deck of her boat, Loon Feather, with her dog, Rosie, is avid sailor Jane Briggs Hart of Mackinac Island. She is being inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in October. (Photograph by Mike Hart)

An aviation pioneer, Jane "Janey" Briggs Hart of Mackinac Island helped to pave the way for women astronauts in the United States space program, and now she will be recognized for her work there and in other leadership roles she has played in Michigan and in American history. Mrs. Hart, is being inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame Wednesday, October 17, just three days before her 86th birthday.

"I am honored that they would do this," Mrs. Hart told the Town Crier Wednesday, October 3.

Now living on Mackinac Island year-around, the wife of the late U.S. Senator Philip Hart is writing her memoirs, a project she wishes she had started 20 years ago. Island life offers quietness, she said, that gives her the level of concentration needed for the project.

A leader in aviation history, as a pilot, Mrs. Hart flew her husband around the state during his political campaigns. Later, she became the first woman in Michigan to be licensed to fly helicopters. In 1961, she was one of 13 women pilots chosen to participate in NASA's Mercury 13 program. The program tested women's capability for space travel by measuring their ability

to pass the same psychological challenges and physical trials placed on male astronauts. Before the women were allowed to fly, the program was abruptly stopped, and Mrs. Hart, with Mercury 13 member Jerrie Cobb, urged members of a Congressional Subcommittee to included women in the space program. While the effort was unsuccessful then, women were included in the space program about 30 years later.

Mrs. Hart continued to champion women's rights and became a founding member of the National Organization for Women. As a practicing Catholic, she publicly has opposed the church's position on birth control and its stand on women's role in the church.

She is a avid sailor, who has sailed the Port Huron to Mackinac race 15 times as part of an all-women crew. She holds a degree in anthropology from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Mrs. Hart is committed to peace and civil rights, and was once arrested for attending a Mass for Peace in the Pentagon, a conviction that was later overturned.

Mrs. Hart was nominated for the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame by Mercury 13 member Bernice Steadman of Stanwood, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003.

"Pilot, truck driver, feminist, peace and civil rights activist, mother of eight, grandmother, great-grandmother, and political celebrity in her own right," wrote Mrs. Steadman. "Add to this expertise in sailing, horse breeding, and numerous other interests. These are the hallmarks of a fully engaged life worthy of recognition in the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame."

Barbara Brown of St. Ignace and Lansing will present the award to Mrs. Hart.

"I am very honored, and looking forward to the event," Ms. Brown said.

More than 100 women were nominated for the Hall of Fame this year, said Patricia Mahjer, assistant director of the Michigan Women's Historical Center and Hall of Fame. Judging is a two-tier process, with eight to 10 inductees chosen each year. Judges come from across Michigan and represent the arts, history, education, and other areas of expertise.

The Michigan Women's Historical Center was established in 1987 by the Michigan Women's Studies Association, which seeks to improve what is taught and thought about Michigan women in history. Inside the Historical Center are changing galleries highlighting women's history and art, as well as the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame, which commemorates more than 200 Michigan women, past and present.

This year's induction program will be held in the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center on the campus of Michigan State University. The evening begins at 5 p.m. and includes a cocktail hour and dinner before the awards ceremony. The event also serves as a fundraiser for the Hall of Fame. Tickets cost $125 per person and are available from the Michigan Women's Historical Center and Hall of Fame by calling (517) 484- 1880.