Rhoda Gilman, founding member of MISF, dies

Gilman, Rhoda R. Minnesota historian and political activist Rhoda R. Gilman died May
9, 2018 at Region's Hospital, St. Paul. She is survived by her daughters Elizabeth Raasch-
Gilman of St. Paul and Carolyn Gilman of Washington, DC, and her son-in-law Richard
Fuller of St. Paul. Born in Seattle, Washington, in 1927, Rhoda came to Minnesota in
1952. She became a researcher at the Minnesota Historical Society in 1958 and held
positions there in the publications, education, and research divisions. Among the
projects she accomplished was a textbook of Minnesota history for schools statewide,
which was separately published as "The Story of Minne-sota's Past". In 2004 she
published a biography of Minnesota's first governor, "Henry Hastings Sibley: Divided
Heart". After retirement in 1992, Rhoda began a career as a political activist. She was a
founding member of the Minnesota Green Party and ran for lieutenant governor on the
Green ticket in 2002. She also edited and wrote about Minnesota's radical political
tradition, including the Minnesota Book Award nominee "Ringing in the Wilderness"
(1996) and "Stand Up! The Story of Minnesota's Protest Tradition" (2012). In 2008 she
received the Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation award for her work on peace and social
justice. Rhoda served on the boards of the Institute for Minnesota Archaeology and the
Minnesota Archaeological Society. She was also a founding member of Women
Historians of the Midwest and the Minnesota Independent Scholars Forum. As a Quaker
with a strong interest in Buddhism, Rhoda belonged to the Twin Cities Friends Meeting
and served on the board of the Quaker Universalist Fellowship, heading up their
publication program as both editor and author. Send memorials to Planned Parenthood
of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Memorial service to be scheduled.