Eliza Jane Pratt
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Eliza Jane Pratt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 8th district | |
| In office May 25, 1946 – January 3, 1947 | |
| Preceded by | William O. Burgin |
| Succeeded by | Charles B. Deane |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 5, 1902 Anson County, North Carolina |
| Died | May 13, 1981 (aged 79) Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Queens College |
Eliza Jane Pratt (March 5, 1902 – May 13, 1981) was a United States Representative from North Carolina, the first woman to represent her state in the U.S. Congress.[1][2]
She was the only woman elected to the House of Representatives from North Carolina until the 1992 election of Eva Clayton.
Early life and education
[edit]Pratt was born in Anson County, North Carolina on March 5, 1902. She attended Queens College in Charlotte, North Carolina from 1918 to 1920.[3]
Career
[edit]In 1923, Pratt worked as an editor for the Montgomerian newspaper in Troy, North Carolina. In 1924, she was hired as an administrative assistant for Congressman William C. Hammer.[3] Following Hammer's death in 1930, Pratt worked for a succession of North Carolina representatives: Hinton James, J. Walter Lambeth and William O. Burgin.[1]
When Burgin died in office in 1946, Pratt was elected as a Democrat to fill the vacancy. She served from May 25, 1946, to January 3, 1947, and was not a candidate in the 1946 general election.[1] During her time in office, Pratt was appointed to three committees: Pensions, Territories, and Flood Control.[1]
Pratt went on to a variety of federal government jobs between 1947 and 1956 with the Office of Alien Property, the Agriculture Department, and the Library of Congress.[1] She worked as secretary for another member of Congress, Alvin Paul Kitchin, from 1957 through 1962.[1][3] In 1962, Pratt returned to North Carolina and worked as a public relations executive for the North Carolina Telephone Company.[3]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f "PRATT, Eliza Jane | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved 2018-01-18.
- ^ "Eliza Jane Pratt enters U.S. House, May 25, 1946". POLITICO. Retrieved 2018-01-18.
- ^ a b c d "Pratt, Eliza Jane | NCpedia". www.ncpedia.org. Retrieved 2018-01-18.
External links
[edit]- Congressional Biography
- Eliza Jane Pratt at Find a Grave
- Marion Elliott Deerhake, Jane Pratt: North Carolina's First Congresswoman, McFarland and Co., 2024.
| People | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
- 1902 births
- 1981 deaths
- 20th-century American legislators
- 20th-century American women politicians
- Female members of the United States House of Representatives
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina
- Women in North Carolina politics
- Editors of North Carolina newspapers
- Queens University of Charlotte alumni
- People from Wadesboro, North Carolina
- Secretaries
- United States congressional aides