Lois Herr
Lois Kathryn Herr | |
---|---|
Democratic nominee for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania's 16th district | |
Election date November 2, 2010 | |
Opponent | Joe Pitts (R) |
Incumbent | Joe Pitts |
Personal details | |
Born | Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States | December 23, 1941
Political party | Democratic |
Residence | Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania |
Alma mater | |
Profession | Marketing and public affairs, author |
Lois Kathryn Herr (born December 23, 1941) is a progressive activist living in Pennsylvania. While working at AT&T she was leader fighting for equal rights for women in the workplace.[1] A Democrat, she ran for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district in 2004, 2006 and 2010.[2] In 2013, she was elected to the Borough Council of Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania, and took office in 2014.[3]
Early life and education and career
[edit]Herr was born in Hershey, Pennsylvania.[4] She graduated from Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania, received a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from Fordham University.[4]
Herr's first full-time job, in 1963, was as a seventh grade English teacher in Middletown Township, New Jersey. The following year she began working at Bell Laboratories. She held various senior management positions with NYNEX, AT&T, New York Telephone and Bell Laboratories through 1990, working in line operations, sales and marketing, government relations, corporate planning and finance. She gradually became aware that women at AT&T did not receive the same benefits as men, and that there were some jobs which were closed to women. Following a 1970 sex discrimination suit by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Herr and other women at AT&T worked within the corporation for equal rights for women. AT&T settled the suit in 1973.[5]
She also served as a Presidential Interexchange Executive, working under President Gerald Ford in the White House Office of Management and Budget. Herr has been scholar-in-residence at Elizabethtown College, taught in their Business Department and Center for Continuing Education and also served as Director of Marketing and Public Affairs.[6] Herr has served on several boards, including Conestoga Financial Corporation, the Pennsylvania State Board of Barber Examiners, Elizabethtown College, Penn Laurel Girl Scout Council, the Greystone Manor Therapeutic Riding Center and the Veteran Feminists of America.
Publications
[edit]Herr's first book, Women, Power and AT&T: Winning Rights in the Workplace, was published in 2002 by Northeastern University Press. According to WorldCat, it is held in 488 libraries.[7] It was reprinted by URLink in 2020. Her second book, Dear Coach: Letters Home from World War II, was published in 2009, based on over 200 letters sent to her father, Coach Ira Herr, from men and women serving in the war.[8] A third book, Dear Woman of My Dreams, was published by XLIBRIS in 2016.
Political career
[edit]Herr previously served as the Executive Director of the Lancaster County Democratic Committee and was both a local and a state committeeperson in the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. She served also as Chair of the Lebanon County Democratic Committee and a member of the National Organization for Women.[9]
Political campaigns
[edit]Herr ran for the US Congressional seat held by Republican Joseph R. Pitts in 2004, 2006 and 2010. She was defeated in each election by the incumbent.[6][10]
Electoral history
[edit]Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | Third Party | Votes | Pct | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2004 | Lois Herr | 98,410 | 34.5% | Joe Pitts | 183,620 | 64.4% | William Hagen | 3,269 | 1.25 | ||||
2006 | Lois Herr | 80,915 | 39.6% | Joe Pitts | 115,741 | 56.6% | John Murphy | 7,958 | 3.9% | ||||
2010 | Lois Herr | 70,994 | 34.6% | Joe Pitts | 134,113 | 65.4% |
In 2013, Herr was elected to the Mount Gretna Borough Council as a nominee of the Democratic Party. Herr received 57 votes, defeating Republican nominee Angela Shea, who had 32 votes.[12]
In 2018, Herr was the Democratic nominee for state senator in Pennsylvania's 48th legislative district and lost to incumbent Republican Mike Folmer.[13]
Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | Lois Herr | 35,545 | 37.1% | Mike Folmer | 60,357 | 62.9% |
Personal life
[edit]Herr is a native of Hershey, Pennsylvania and currently resides in Mount Gretna.
Works
[edit]- Lois Kathryn Herr, Women, Power and AT&T: Winning Rights in the Workplace, Northeastern (December 12, 2002), ISBN 978-1-55553-537-7
- Lois Kathryn Herr, Dear Coach: Letters Home from World War II, (August 10, 2009), ISBN 978-0-615-30230-0
References
[edit]- ^ "Women, Power, and AT&T: Winning Rights in the Work Place". Hagley Library and Archives News. Hagley Museum and Library. May 7, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ "Herr2010.com". Retrieved September 15, 2016.
- ^ Hackleman, Kathy (January 13, 2014). "Mt. Gretna makes strides on treatment plant upgrades". Lebanon Daily News. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
- ^ a b "Lois K. Herr (D)". Washington Post. 2004. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
- ^ "Lois Herr Papers". Finding Aid. Hagley Museum and Library. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
- ^ a b Boyer, Maurice; Busby, Karen (November 4, 2004). "It's status quo for Election 2004 in Chester County". Avon Grove Sun. TownNews. Archived from the original on February 4, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
- ^ Herr, Lois Kathryn (January 1, 2003). Women, power, and AT & T: winning rights in the workplace. Northeastern University Press. OCLC 50292370. Retrieved September 15, 2016 – via Open WorldCat.
- ^ Herr, Lois Kathryn; Herr, Ira Risser (January 1, 2009). Dear Coach: letters home from World War II. Lois Kathryn Herr. OCLC 438753812. Retrieved September 15, 2016 – via Open WorldCat.
- ^ "Lois Herr on the fringe Clark T. Regitz Manheim Township". Lancaster Newspapers. October 21, 2006. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
- ^ "U.S. House, Pennsylvania District 16". Washington Post. 2006. Archived from the original on February 11, 2007. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
- ^ "Home". electionreturns.state.pa.us.
- ^ "Lebanon County election results". Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
- ^ "2018 General Election: Senator in the General Assembly". Pennsylvania Department of State. November 6, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
External links
[edit]- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Dear Coach official book site
- Lois K. Herr papers at Hagley Museum and Library
Oral History at https://www.veteranfeministsofamerica.org
- Living people
- 1941 births
- Elizabethtown College alumni
- People from Hershey, Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania Democrats
- American women's rights activists
- Activists from Pennsylvania
- Candidates in the 2004 United States elections
- Candidates in the 2006 United States elections
- Candidates in the 2010 United States elections
- Pennsylvania local politicians
- Women in Pennsylvania politics
- American United Methodists
- 21st-century American women politicians