Jeannette Hayner was born in 1919 in Portland, Oregon. She attended Jefferson High School and the University of Oregon Law School. She married Herman Hayner in 1942, and the couple moved to Walla Walla in 1947. She was elected to the state house of representatives in 1972, and elected state senator in 1976. During her career, she served as minority whip and majority leader. Jeannette Hayner died in 2010 in Walla Walla.

In 1992, senator Hayner was nominated for an honorary doctorate from Whitman College. Opposition soon surfaced on campus. The main point of dissent was her history of voting against protections for LGBTQ Washingtonians, migrant workers, and her opposition to hate crimes legislation. A campus group, Students Organized to Protest Honoring Hayner, was formed in opposition. The Associated Students of Whitman College (ASWC) elections committee conducted a survey of Whitman students, which found that 71.4% (of 435 students) opposed Hayner being honored. A student and faculty protest marched through downtown Walla Walla. Finally, a small, quiet protest was also held during commencement. Some ceremony attendees wore pink ribbons to signify their protest.