Jane Wood Reno,
Mother of
Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno

St Pete Times
Sunday
July 4, 1993

Jane Wood Reno, left a pipe-smoking reporter for the Miami Herald, built her own house in the woods and reared four children, one of whom, Janet, is U.S. Attorney General. Reno, who died last December at age 92, had a strong interest in Indian affairs. She often took her children on visits to the reservation with a lawyer named Morton Silver, who was suing the federal government on behalf of the tribes seeking the return of their ancestral lands.

JWR: Once upon a time I was down at the Green Corn Dance about 3 in the morning with Morton and my daughter, Janet Reno, a lovely, long-legged girl. At the Green Corn Dance you’re not allowed to go to sleep, and you’re not allowed to eat, but you do drink. So I said to Homer Osceola, “Homer, someday Morton will die, as all men must, and you’re still gonna have an Indian land claim going on. My daughter, Janny baby, who’s a Harvard law school student, can take it over.” Homer looked at Janny and said, “Janny baby, you will never make a good Indian lawyer because you’re too beautiful and too young, and you will want to be popular. Morton Silver is a Jew. He doesn’t care whether he’s popular or not, and he makes a great Indian lawyer.”

Jane Wood and Janet Reno