Catherine Dean May
Encyclopedia
Catherine Dean May was a U.S. Representative
from Washington, later Catherine May Bedell.
May was born as Catherine Dean Barnes in Yakima, Washington
and graduated from Yakima Valley Junior College, Yakima, Washington
, in 1934. She earned her B.S. from the University of Washington
, Seattle, Washington in 1936 and her teaching certificate in 1937. She attended the University of Southern California
in Los Angeles, California
in 1939. She taught English at Chehalis (Washington) High School from 1937 to 1940 and was women's editor and a news broadcaster in Tacoma, Washington
in 1941 and 1942. She headed the radio department for a Seattle advertising agency from 1942 to 1943, and a Seattle insurance company from 1943 to 1944. She then became a writer and assistant commentator for the National Broadcasting Company in New York City from 1944 to 1946 before returning to the Northwest to become women's editor at station KIT
in Yakima, Washington
from 1948 to 1957. She worked as an office manager and medical secretary at the Yakima Medical Center in 1957 and 1958 and served as president of Bedell Associates. She served as member of the Washington State House of Representatives from 1952 to 1958.
May was elected as a Republican
to the Eighty-sixth
and to the five succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1959-January 3, 1971). She was the first woman elected to Congress from Washington.
She was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Ninety-second Congress
in 1970 and subsequently served on the United States International Trade Commission
from 1971 to 1981. In 1982 she was a Special Consultant to the President on the 50 States Project. She died on May 28, 2004, in Rancho Mirage, California
.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Washington, later Catherine May Bedell.
May was born as Catherine Dean Barnes in Yakima, Washington
Yakima, Washington
Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
and graduated from Yakima Valley Junior College, Yakima, Washington
Yakima, Washington
Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
, in 1934. She earned her B.S. from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, Seattle, Washington in 1936 and her teaching certificate in 1937. She attended the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 1939. She taught English at Chehalis (Washington) High School from 1937 to 1940 and was women's editor and a news broadcaster in Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
in 1941 and 1942. She headed the radio department for a Seattle advertising agency from 1942 to 1943, and a Seattle insurance company from 1943 to 1944. She then became a writer and assistant commentator for the National Broadcasting Company in New York City from 1944 to 1946 before returning to the Northwest to become women's editor at station KIT
KIT (AM)
KIT is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format to the Yakima, Washington, USA area. The station is licensed to GAP Broadcasting Yakima License, LLC and owned by Townsquare Media...
in Yakima, Washington
Yakima, Washington
Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
from 1948 to 1957. She worked as an office manager and medical secretary at the Yakima Medical Center in 1957 and 1958 and served as president of Bedell Associates. She served as member of the Washington State House of Representatives from 1952 to 1958.
May was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the Eighty-sixth
86th United States Congress
The Eighty-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1959 to January 3, 1961, during the last two years...
and to the five succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1959-January 3, 1971). She was the first woman elected to Congress from Washington.
She was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Ninety-second Congress
92nd United States Congress
The Ninety-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives...
in 1970 and subsequently served on the United States International Trade Commission
United States International Trade Commission
The United States International Trade Commission is an independent, bi-partisan, quasi-judicial, federal agency of the United States that provides trade expertise to both the legislative and executive branches. Further, the agency determines the impact of imports on U.S...
from 1971 to 1981. In 1982 she was a Special Consultant to the President on the 50 States Project. She died on May 28, 2004, in Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage, California
Rancho Mirage is a resort city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal population can exceed 20,000. In between Cathedral City and Palm Desert, it is one of the eight cities of the Coachella...
.