Full text of Women in the ... Congress : 81st

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GOVT PUSLS DEPTY
INDIANA UNIVERSITY

L13.20;
.1949

V. S. Denartment of Labor
WO.EN'S BUREAU

Washington 25 , D. C.

LIORARY

July 15, 1949
WOMEN IN VE 61st CONGRESS

1

The 61st congress, convened on January 3 , 1949 , includes 9 women ,
an increase of 2 over the 80 th Congress .

This year a woman serves in the

Senate as the elected representative of her state for the first time since

1941;, when Senator yattie Caravay , Democrat of Arkansas, was defeated for ·
reelection after having served to full 6 - year terms in addition to an un
expired term of her late husband .
Mrs. Marqaret Chase smith , Republican from Maine , for nearly 9
years a member of the House of Representa tives from Maine's 2d District ,

became on September 13 , 1948, the first perublican woman elected to a full
fledged term in the United States Senate and the only woman elected to a

full 6 - year term without first being appointed .
Born in Skowhegan in 1897 , her business career began immediately

after graduation from the Skowhegan high school in 1916.

She has been .a

teacher , an executive for the liaine Telephone 2 Telegraph company, an

executive in a newsraper company , treasurer of a. was të process company , and
executive for a woolen company .
In May 1930 she married clyde ! . Smith , a former State Senator ;

and became active in politics , being elected in that yeor to the Republican
State Committee ,

In 1936 , when her husband was elected to the U. s. House

of Representatives , she worked as nis secretary and office assistant , marias
ins the office work , handling mail , and doing research on the subjects of
various hills .

when her husband died in 1940 , she was elected to fill his

unexpired term , and she has been reelected to every Congress since then .
In 1944 she was chairman of the ſaine State Republican Convention . Also

durins that year she served as one of 13 advisers to the U. S. Government

delegation to the Țnternational Labor Conference neetir! in Philadelphia .
At her request she was placed in 1943 on the House of Representa
tives plaval Affairs Committee . This assignment sent her with a subcommittee
of 10 on a 25,000 - mile inspection tour of the Pacific or theater, and in
.

19144 the secretary of the wavy adopted her recommendations for the benefit
of fighting Naval personnel . ' S ' : e was also a member of the Fouse naval
Affairs Subcomittee on Concested Areas , the only congressional committee
ever to draw the official commendation of the late President Pranilin D.
Roosevelt , She was the first woman member of the immortant Armed Services

Committee of the rouse of Rcpresentatives and , as chair : an of the Armed
Services Medical Subcommittee , was the first Member of Congress to obtain
unification of legislation requested by tn Army and by the Navy. In the

fall of 1947 Mrs. Smith was assirneci ??yt : 0 Armed Services Committee to an
inspection trip tlirourn Duronean countries .

In the 1948 primary in Maine yrs . Smith polled , as a senatorial
candidate , a record yoto orer three opponents and had toice as many votes.

213.2 ; 19 :11: !

D

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as her major opponent, In the 81st Congress she is a member of the District
of Columbia and of the Expenditures in the Executive Departments Committees .
AS cliairman of the Fealth and Public Welfare Subcommittee of the District

Committee she is the only Republican in the 81st Congress , either House or
Senate , to be chairman of a committee or a subcommittee .

The women's National Press Club gave mrs . Smith their Politics

Achievement Award for 1948 , and the Associated Press named her the 1948
lllroman of the Year . "

While she is a champion for vomen , Mrs. Smith says , she is not a
feminist

She believes that a woman's viewpoint should be objective and
It is important, though , she

free of any emphasis on feminine interests . "

thinks, for more women to qualify for public office , for responsibility for
.

good government rests equally on men and women . As a word of encouragement,
she says , " We can't all be Members of Congress and the Senate , but there
must be good people working all down the line , on school boards , civic
organizations , community chest boards , church groups , and community pro
jects .... We must remember that America has been made great , not from
Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington , but from the Main Streets in our villages . "
Unofficial ! dean of congresswomen , by virtue of seniority , is
Mrs. Mary. T. Norton , Democrat from the 13t'i Districů of jew Jerse ;" ( Hayonno
and parts of Jersey Ci ty) . idrs , Norton has served in the U. S. House of
.

Representatives continuously since 1924.

Born in 1875 in Jersey City, she

attended public schools there and took a secretarial course in a New York

City. business. college , after which she worked as a secretary until 1909 ,
weil she married Robert Francis Norton ,

After her marriage she became active 'in child welfare and Red
Cross work, and served as the chairman of one of the largest Red Cross units
in the State of New Jersey during World War I.

Because of her outstanding

work in these social service groups , Mayor Frank Hague suggested in June of
1920 that she represent Hudson County women on the State Democratic com
mittee, and in 1923 she was elected Freeholder in Hudson County , the first
woman to be so elected in hudson County and in New Jersey.

Her work on

the State Committee and as a Freeholder led to her election to Congress in

1924.

She has served as vice - chairman and later as chairman of the state

Democratic Committee , and consistently from 1924 to 1948 she has been a
In 1944 she
served as co - chairman of the platform Committee and in 1943 as chairman of

delegate at large to : the Democratic National Convention ,
the Credentials Coromittee of the Convention ,

i !rs . Norton was the first woman to be elected to Congress from the
Democratic Party and the first woman from the East from any political party .
In 1930 she became the first woman ever to head a congressional committeethe House of Representa tives Committee oil the District of Columbia , which

she presided over for 7 years , Probably Mrs. Horto : l's best- know work ,
thousin, is associated with the important House Labor Coruni ttee ; she was its.
head for 10 years prior to the 80 th ( Republican - controlled ) Congress , when
she resigned from the committee ,

As its head , she bad helped to steer

through congress several major labor laws, including the Federal Fair Labor

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Standards Act establishing a minimum wage rate for employees of firms en
gaged in interstate commerce . Mrs. Norton's interest and experience in

>

labor affairs were further recognized in 1945 when President Truman ap
pointed her Government Representative and Adviser to the International
Labor Conference in Paris , France .

Mrs. Norton is at the present time chairman of the prov.se Committee
She is the only Member of Congress who hos served

on Louse Administration .

as chairman of three committees of Congress .

Representa tive Norton received the first degree of Doctor of Laws ,
in 1930 , ever conferred by Saint Elizabeth's College , the oldest woman's
college in New Jersey , in recognition of service in welfare and governnent,
and in 1937 she was awarded the degree of doctor of Laws by Rider College
Trenton , New Jersey , The Women's ?ational press club selected her in 1916
as one of the ten outstanding women of the country and the outstanding woman
in Goverment for that year .

lirs . Edith

ourse Rogers , Republican fron the 5th District of

Massachusetts ( cities of Lowell and Hoburn and 27 torms ) , has been in
Congress since 1925. She was born in 1881 in Saco , Maine , and was graduated
from Rogers Pall School in Lowell , Massachusetts , and Madame Julien's school

In 1907 she married John Jacob Pozers , o. J.awyer who
served in the Fouse of Representatives from 1913 till his death in 1925 .

in Paris , France ,

Mrs. Rocers has an especial interest in veteransi affairs which?

dates back to the First World War , when she served in France with the
and the American Red Cross .

CA

From 1918 to 1922 she was a Red Cross vorber

at the Army's National hospital . ( alter Reed Hospital. ) in wastington , 12. C.
point
In recognition of her work for veterans! welfare , President Harding
ed her in 1922 as his personal representative in charie of assistonce for
disabled veterans , a position to which she was reappointed by President
Coolidge in 1923 and by President Foover in 1929 .
3

Mrs. Pogers was elected to the house of Representatives of the

69 tì? Congress , June 30 , 1925 , to fill the vacancy caused by the death of her
husland ,

she was reelected to the 70th and to every succeedins concress .

For years she served as the ranking Republican member on the Forein Affairs
Committee of the House . She was a delegate to the Inter - Anerican Conference

on Problems of war and peace at !!exico City in February 1945 .
Mrs. Rogers was overseas during both world War I and World War II .
Zazly in World War II she introduced the bill creating the women's Army

Auxiliary Corps , later established as the women's Army Corys ( WAC) .
In the 60th Congress she was chairman of the rouse of pepresenta

tives ' Committee on veterans ! Affairs ; at present she is ranking minority
member .

yrs . France : P. Folton , Republican from the 22nd District of Ohio

( parts of Cleveland and suburbs) , has been a Member of Congress since 1940 .
She was born in 1886 in Cleveland , Ohio , and was educated in private sc !?00.15
in the United States and in France ; she also studied music for a time in
In 1907 she was married to Chester Castle 301 ton ; she is
tize . mother of three sons and has eight grandchildren ,

Hew York City.

From the tile she returned from school to her home in Clere land ,

she took an active part in philanthropic and civic activities .

Interested

in all health matters and active in both public health nursing and nursing

education in Clevela :2 , Mrs. Bolton's endowment there of the School of
Fursing of yestern Reserve University was incident to her many years of

active participation in the building of the school.

She is an honorary

member of the Alumni of the Army School of Nursing because of the part she

played during the Fii'st World War in its establishment .
Mrs. Bolton served on the Republican State Central Committee in

Ohio from 1938 to 1940 and as vice - chairman of the Itational Republican

Program committee from 1937 to 1940. Zlected in February 1940 to the
House of Representatives of the 76 th Congress to fill the unexpired term
of her lusband , she has served continuously since then .

At the beginning

of World War II , prior to the establishment of the U. S. Cadet Purse corps
under the Bolton Act , she was instrumental in securing funds to increase
the teaching capacity of many schools of nursing .

" 'rs , Bolton has been a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of

the House of Representatives since January 19:41 .

As chairman of the Suh

committee having to do with National and International ! 'ovements, Mrs. Bolton
was the first woman to take a comittee out on a field trip . Per super
vision of the work of this subcommittee in the prenaration of a report on
11 The Strategy and mactics of. World Communism' and a suglement containing
a renort on " Coinminis

in China" has been a contribution receivin ' wide

recognition .

lirs. Helen Gahazan Douglas, Democrat from the 14t!: District of
California (part of Los Angeles) , was first elected to Congress in 1942

and was reelected in 1946 and 1943. Born in 1900 in Boonton , ! ew Jersey ,
she was educated in private schools and attended Barnard College .

After

th:10 years at Barnard she left for a star part on Broadway . In 1926 size :
began to study voice and later made opera tours of Europe . 0:1 her return
to the United states in 1930 , she again starred on the stace , where she met
Melvyn Douglas , to whom she was married in 1931 . Hrs . Douglas has two
.

children .

It was not until after her return from a concert tour of Europe in
ti
1937 , with its opportunities to observe and interpr: t conditions there , tant
Mrs. Douglas became actively enga red in civic affairs , She served on t ? e

!ational Advisory Committee of the works Progress Administration and on the
California State Advisory Committee of the rational Youth Administration ,

In 1940 she was elected Democratic National Comni tteewoman for California
and was appointed vice - chairman of the Democratic St:: te Central Comunittre

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in 1941 , She was also electer chairman of the women's Division of the
Democratic state central committee and in 1942 was reelected vice chairman
of the Deino cratic State Central Committee .

In July 1946 president Truan appointed Mrs. Douglas as an alternate
United States delegate to the General Assembly of the United Nations .
She is a meinber of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of
Representatives .

yrs . Ka tharine St. George , Republican froin the 23 th District of
Mew York ( southeastern section , including suburbs of New York City) , was
born in England , where her father was European editor of Forum magazine .
Since the age of 18 , however , she has lived in mixedo , Few York . Ilarried
to Georze Baker St. George in 1917. she has one daughter and two grand
children ,

Her interest in politics is of long standing . She was a member of
the Tuxedo tom board for 15 years ; and for 20 years she was a member of the

Trixedo Roard of Education , serving for a time as its president .

She was

one of the first women to be elected chairgan of a Republican County Com
mittee in jew York State .

Among her other activities are those of ; former president of the
Tuxedo Renublican club and of the orange County Federation of Women's
Repuhlican clubs ; former member of the Council of Tew York State Republican

Women, Inc.; delegate from Orange County to the 1944 Republican National
Convention ; member of the New York State Agricultural Society and the crange
County Fome Surcau ; member of the orange County Chamber of Commerce ; chair
man of the Tuxedo Chapter of the American Red Cross for 10 years, and an
officer for 20 years . Durinz world mar II She was a representative on trie
NAC recruitment program and member of the board of governors of the new york
?? ilitary Service Club .
She is now a menber of the post office and Civil Service Committee
of the vouse of Representaties .

Mrs. Chase Going woodhov.se , Democrat , from the 20 District of

Connecticut (eastern section , including itew London ), after first serving in
the 79 th congress , was re- elected to the Sist Congress , defeating the

Republican incumbent to whom she lost her horise seat in 1946 .
She was born on the west coast and received her education at schools

in Kentucky , California , and sout ! Iako ta , and at !!cgill University in
>

Canada , where she was the first woman to win honors in economics . She also
did graduate work at the University of Chicago and the University of Perlin .
Mrs. Woodhouse already had an outstanding career as an economist
behind her before coming to Congress , She had taunt at Snith College, the
University of mexas , meachers Collere of Columbia University , Connecticut

Collere, and e.loewhere, and jad served as senior economist of the U. S.
Bureau of Home Economics ,

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Her first venture into politics was as candidate for the city
Council of New Londo !... She served for many years as president of the

Connecticut federation of democratic women's clubs and in 1941-1942 was
elected Secretary of the state of connecticut,

While in Congress in 1946
1948 she took an active part in legislation concerning the Bretton Woods
Agreements , the British loan , housing and legislation affecting the con
sumer .

From Fehruary 1947 to April 291:8 , bet een ber terms in Congress,
3

Mrs , Woodhouse was executive director , Women's division , Democratic National
Committee .
She resigned this position to become a visiting expert in

Germany for the Secretary of tie Army ; there she helped develop widerstanding
among Gerinar: women of their rights and responsibilities as citizens of a
derrocracy .
In the 81st , as in the 79 th Congress ,, Mrs. Woodhouse is a member
of the Banking and currency Committee of the House of Representa tives ,
Mrs. Woodhouse is the mother of two children and has tvo grand
children,

Mrs. Reva Beck Bosone , Democrat of the 2d District of Utah , serving

in Congress for the first time this year , is the first woman elected to
she was born in American Fork , Utah , and attended
Westminster collere in Salt Lake City and the University of California , from
Congress from Utah .

which she fas an A ... degree . Beginning her career as a teacher , she later
.

received an IL .. degree from the University of Utah ard has been, a member
of the tar since 1930 ..

As a member of the Utah State Legislature from 1933 to 1935 ,
Mrs. Rosone was responsible for the passage of the Child Labor Amendment
and the State Unemployment Insurance Law , and she was the autor of the
.

State Minimum Wage and bour Law for Women and children ,

The only woman

ever elected floor leader in the Utah State Legislature , she was also the

first woman ever named to the important Sifting Committee , through which all
bills iad to pass before they reached the floor , and give became its chai rman .

Elected in 1936 to the Salt Lake City bench , she is the first
woman ever to preside in a Utah court , ' As her initial assiminent she took
over the Police Court, were her handling of traffic cases was so out
standing that when , under the city's rotating system , the time came for

change of assignments, every traffic safety and civic organization demanded
that she con time her traffic work .

ia city juice in 1945.

She was elected to her third term as

In recognition of her public service in the reha

bilitation of alcoholics and juvenile delinquents , hirs . Bosone was nạmed to
9

the Utah Hall of Fame in 19!+3.
Mrs. Rosone has one child .

In tho &lst Congress she is a member of the House of Representa ti ves
Connittee on Public Lands and of the subcommittee on Irrigation and Re

clamation , Territories and Insular Possessions , and Indian Affairs .

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Republican newcomer to congress this year is Mrs. Cecil Murray
Harden, Representative from the 6th District of Indiana (west central
section , includina Terre Hante and Covington). Born in Covington, Indiana,

Tovember 21, 1994, she attended public schools in Covington and, later,
Indiana !niversity. Until her marriame to Frost P. Farden in 1914, she
taugt in Troy township and Covington public schools.
Mrs. Parden has been identified with Republican party work since
1932, when she was elected a precinct vice-committee:oman. Since 1938 she
hos teen county vice -chairman for Fountain County , a congressional district

vice -chairman, and a member of the state central Committee,

Elected

in

19li) a Republican e tional Committee omar for Indiana , her party responsi

bilities have continuously increased, and in 1948 shewas a member of the
Arrangements Committee for the Republican National Convention and also a
delegate at large from India na , She became involved i n the congressional

race when appointed to replace a Republican candidate from the 6th district,
who withdrew to aceept a judgeship. She was elected to the 81st Congress
and is now serving on the House veterans

Affairs Corunittee.

Mrs. Werden is a popular speaker, having filled many engagements
through arrangements of the Indiara Republican State Speakers' Bureau and
the Republican National Committee Speakers ! Sureair. Active in many local ,
civic, and national affairs, she is a cherter member of the Business and
Professional Women's Club and belorss to the Daughters of the American

Pevolution, Crder of the Eastern Star, Vappa Wapda Kappa sorority, the
Covington Presbyterian Church, the Indiana Federation of Women's Clubs, and
the American Legion Auxiliary .

The Hardens have one son, Dr. Murray E. Farden , who with his wife
and three children lives in Indianapolis, Indiana,

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