Nancy Kassebaum Baker
Encyclopedia
Nancy Landon Kassebaum Baker (born July 29, 1932) represented the State
of Kansas
in the United States Senate
from 1978 to 1997. She is the daughter of Alf Landon
, who was Governor of Kansas
from 1933 to 1937 and the 1936 Republican nominee for president
. She was the first woman ever elected to a full term in the Senate without her husband having previously served in Congress.
in Lawrence
in 1954, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta
. In 1956 she received a master's degree in diplomatic history from the University of Michigan
, where she met her first husband, Philip Kassebaum, whom she married in 1956. They settled in Maize, Kansas
, where they raised four children. They separated in 1975, and divorced in 1979.
of Maine
was first elected to the House of Representatives to fill her husband's vacancy, but later won a Senate election), nor appointed to fill out a deceased husband's term. She was also the first woman to represent Kansas in the Senate.
She defeated eight other Republicans in the 1978 primary elections to replace retiring Republican James B. Pearson
and then defeated former Democratic
Congressman
Bill Roy
(who narrowly lost a previous election bid to Kansas's junior senator, Bob Dole
, in 1974) in the general election. She was re-elected to her Senate seat in 1984 and 1990, but did not seek re-election in 1996.
legislation, known as the Kennedy-Kassebaum Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
, which was co-sponsored by Massachusetts
Senator Edward Kennedy
, a Democrat.
, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to recreating the bipartisan center in American national security and foreign policy.
In 1996, she married former U.S. Senator Howard Baker, Jr.
of Tennessee
.
Her son, Bill Kassebaum, is a former member of the Kansas House of Representatives
. Her other son, filmmaker Richard Kassebaum, died of a brain tumor August 27, 2008 at the age of 47.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from 1978 to 1997. She is the daughter of Alf Landon
Alf Landon
Alfred Mossman "Alf" Landon was an American Republican politician, who served as the 26th Governor of Kansas from 1933–1937. He was best known for being the Republican Party's nominee for President of the United States, defeated in a landslide by Franklin D...
, who was Governor of Kansas
Governor of Kansas
The Governor of the State of Kansas is the head of state for the State of Kansas, United States. Under the Kansas Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Kansas executive branch, of the government of Kansas. The Governor is the...
from 1933 to 1937 and the 1936 Republican nominee for president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. She was the first woman ever elected to a full term in the Senate without her husband having previously served in Congress.
Early life
Baker was born Nancy Landon in Topeka, Kansas, the daughter of Theo (née Cobb) and Governor Alf Landon. She attended Topeka High School and graduated in 1950. She graduated from the University of KansasUniversity of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in Lawrence
Lawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
in 1954, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Alpha Theta , also known as Theta, is an international fraternity for women founded on January 27, 1870 at DePauw University, formerly Indiana Asbury...
. In 1956 she received a master's degree in diplomatic history from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, where she met her first husband, Philip Kassebaum, whom she married in 1956. They settled in Maize, Kansas
Maize, Kansas
Maize is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. It is a suburb of Wichita. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,420.-History:...
, where they raised four children. They separated in 1975, and divorced in 1979.
Elections
Baker went by Nancy Landon Kassebaum while serving in the Senate. She was the first female senator not elected to the political office held by her husband (Margaret Chase SmithMargaret Chase Smith
Margaret Chase Smith was a Republican Senator from Maine, and one of the most successful politicians in Maine history. She was the first woman to be elected to both the U.S. House and the Senate, and the first woman from Maine to serve in either. She was also the first woman to have her name...
of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
was first elected to the House of Representatives to fill her husband's vacancy, but later won a Senate election), nor appointed to fill out a deceased husband's term. She was also the first woman to represent Kansas in the Senate.
She defeated eight other Republicans in the 1978 primary elections to replace retiring Republican James B. Pearson
James B. Pearson
James Blackwood Pearson was a United States Senator from Kansas from 1962 to 1979.-Biography:Pearson was born in 1920 in Nashville, Tennessee, the son of a Methodist minister. With his parents, he moved to Virginia in 1934 and attended public school. He went on to attend college at Duke University...
and then defeated former Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Congressman
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...
Bill Roy
William R. Roy
William Robert Roy , also known as Bill Roy, is a former United States Representative from Kansas, a retired phyisician, and a columnist for The Topeka Capital-Journal.-Biography:...
(who narrowly lost a previous election bid to Kansas's junior senator, Bob Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
, in 1974) in the general election. She was re-elected to her Senate seat in 1984 and 1990, but did not seek re-election in 1996.
Tenure
Baker is a moderate-to-liberal Republican who is known for her health careHealth care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
legislation, known as the Kennedy-Kassebaum Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 was enacted by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996. It was originally sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy and Sen. Nancy Kassebaum . Title I of HIPAA protects health insurance coverage for workers and their...
, which was co-sponsored by Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
Senator Edward Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
, a Democrat.
Personal life
She is an Advisory Board member for the Partnership for a Secure AmericaPartnership for a Secure America
The Partnership for a Secure America is a policy center in the United States. It describes its mission as "recreating the bipartisan center in American national security and foreign policy."...
, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to recreating the bipartisan center in American national security and foreign policy.
In 1996, she married former U.S. Senator Howard Baker, Jr.
Howard Baker
Howard Henry Baker, Jr. is a former Senate Majority Leader, Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee, White House Chief of Staff, and a former United States Ambassador to Japan.Known in Washington, D.C...
of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Her son, Bill Kassebaum, is a former member of the Kansas House of Representatives
Kansas House of Representatives
The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on...
. Her other son, filmmaker Richard Kassebaum, died of a brain tumor August 27, 2008 at the age of 47.
External links
- Kassebaum, Nancy Landon. To Form a More Perfect Union Presidential Studies Quarterly 18 (Spring 1988): 241-49.
- Marshall-White, Eleanor (1991). Catalysts for Change: Interpretive Biographies of Shirley St. Hill Chisholm, Sandra Day O’Connor, and Nancy Landon Kassebaum, Vantage Press, ISBN 0-533-09130-6