Helen Rankin's story

Born on September 12, 1936, Helen Rankin made history as the first African American woman to serve in the Ohio legislature. She was appointed to the Ohio House of Representatives to fill the seat of her late husband, James W. Rankin. Sworn into office in September, Rankin ran outright for the seat two months later. She won the 1978 general election and went on to win reelection seven times. Rankin represented the 25th Ohio House district and, after redistricting, the 30th Ohio House district.

Raised in Alabama, Rankin moved to Cincinnati after graduating from high school in 1954. After briefly attending the University of Cincinnati, Rankin enrolled at a local business college.

Rankin became interested in politics when she met her husband, James, who was elected to the Ohio House in 1970. Together they had three children. While raising her family, Rankin worked at the library and volunteered in the community.

When her husband James died unexpectedly in August 1978, the Speaker of the Ohio House appointed Rankin to fill his seat. Having served as an informal advisor to her late husband, for whom she handled communication, Rankin entered the Ohio House. The self-described “shy” Rankin was reelected repeatedly until her retirement from the House in 1994. 

Rankin was at the forefront of issues pertaining to women’s health. She introduced legislation requiring insurance coverage for mammography and cytologic (Pap) screenings for women over the age of 40. Opposed by insurance companies, Rankin introduced the bill four times before it finally passed. Governor George Voinovich signed Rankin’s legislation into law on April 1, 1992.

Rankin was known as a champion for women, children, and the poor. She sponsored legislation to continue Medicaid reimbursement for visits to outpatient health facilities, fought for affordable health care and housing, and prioritized education. As a member of the House Finance and Appropriations Committee and Chair of the Human Resources Committee for 12 years, Rankin was known as an advocate for the people. Thanks to Rankin’s leadership, Ohio continues to recognize special services for the blind, services for the communicatively impaired and developmental services for children and youth. Her work to address changes in the Title XX Comprehensive Social Services program led to changes to eligibility determination, independent audits, and cost reimbursements.

Rankin’s tenure in the Ohio House was marked by a passion for constituent service, as evidenced by her willingness to provide her direct phone number to constituents so they could reach her at any time.

After retiring from the Ohio House in 1994, Rankin served as Project Co-Chair for the Shalom Habitat for Humanity Project, which built 17 new homes in Cincinnati’s Walnut Hills community. She also served on the board of the Emanuel Community Center and remains active at New Vision United Methodist Church, where she has served as President of the United Methodist Women and Senior Ministry. Rankin remains a devoted mother of three and grandmother of seven.