Virginia E. Jenckes
Encyclopedia
Virginia Ellis Jenckes was a U.S. Representative
from Indiana
. She was the first woman to serve in the U.S. House from the state of Indiana.
Born in Terre Haute, Indiana
, as Virginia Ellis Somes, Jenckes served as Secretary of Wabash Maumee Valley Improvement Association from 1926 to 1932. She was elected as a Democrat
to the Seventy-third
and to the two succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1933-January 3, 1939). She was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1938 to the Seventy-sixth
Congress.
United States delegate to the Interparliamentary Union in Paris, France, in 1937.
After leaving Congress, she remained in Washington, D.C.
for many years working for the American Red Cross
.
She returned to her native Terre Haute, Indiana, in the early 1970s.
She died in Terre Haute, Indiana
, January 9, 1975.
She was interred in Highland Lawn Cemetery
.
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 Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. She was the first woman to serve in the U.S. House from the state of Indiana.
Born in Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
, as Virginia Ellis Somes, Jenckes served as Secretary of Wabash Maumee Valley Improvement Association from 1926 to 1932. She was elected as a Democrat
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...
to the Seventy-third
73rd United States Congress
The Seventy-third 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 March 4, 1933 to January 3, 1935, during the first two years...
and to the two succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1933-January 3, 1939). She was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1938 to the Seventy-sixth
76th United States Congress
The Seventy-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, 1939 to January 3, 1941, during the seventh and...
Congress.
United States delegate to the Interparliamentary Union in Paris, France, in 1937.
After leaving Congress, she remained in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
for many years working for the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
.
She returned to her native Terre Haute, Indiana, in the early 1970s.
She died in Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute, Indiana
Terre Haute is a city and the county seat of Vigo County, Indiana, United States, near the state's western border with Illinois. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 60,785 and its metropolitan area had a population of 170,943. The city is the county seat of Vigo County and...
, January 9, 1975.
She was interred in Highland Lawn Cemetery
Highland Lawn Cemetery
Highland Lawn Cemetery is a city-owned cemetery in Terre Haute, Indiana. Opened in 1884, the cemetery includes .The cemetery features a Richardsonian Romanesque chapel built by architect Jesse A. Vrydaugh in 1893 for a cost of $10,000. In the 1980s, the chapel underwent renovation which was...
.