Photograph of Mildred Rutherford in her Lost Cause garb

Mildred “Miss Millie” Rutherford , daughter of a UGA history professor and niece of Confederate leaders, advocated for women’s education, white supremacy, and the Lost Cause . She was a very popular public speaker all over the US — known for showing up in a hoop skirt and representing the antebellum South. In many ways, she stepped out of traditional women’s roles, while also opposing women’s suffrage and supporting white supremacy.