Gracie Pfost
Gracie Bowers Pfost (March 12, 1906 â August 11, 1965) was a Democrat from Idaho who was the state's first female United States representative, serving for a decade from the first congressional district. She was known as "Hell's Belle"[1] due to her adamant advocacy for a large federal dam in Hells Canyon.
| Gracie B. Pfost | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Former U.S. Representative from Idaho's 1st Congressional District From: January 3, 1953 â January 3, 1963 | |||
| Predecessor | John T. Wood | ||
| Successor | Compton White, Jr. | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Democrat | ||
| Spouse(s) | Jack Pfost (died 1961) | ||
U.S. House of Representatives
During the 83rd Congress, the Select Committee to Investigate Tax-Exempt Foundations and Comparable Organizations was re-enacted by the U.S. House of Representatives and chaired by Tennessee Republican B. Carroll Reece. Thus known as the Reece Committee, it was tasked to properly investigate subversion among tax-exempt foundations, which the committee conducted a poor job at during the previous congressional session.[2] Pfost, along with fellow Ohio Democrat Wayne Hays, were members of the committee who sought to undermine its anti-Communist aims.
Although Pfost may not have obstructed the committee at the degree Hays did, she at one point walked out during a hearing when a witness accused Sen. Paul Douglas of ties with socialist groups.[2][3] Both refused to sign the final report and smeared Reece.
Pfost had a near-perfect attendance record in Congress, only missing two roll call votes during her tenure.[4]
References
- â Gracie Bowers Pfost. Idaho's Women of Influence. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- â 2.0 2.1 FascinatingPolitics (December 22, 2019). The Reece Committee on Foundations: Conspiratorial Nonsense or an Expose of a Threat to the Nation?. Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- â PFOST, Gracie Bowers. US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- â Rep. Gracie Pfost. GovTrack.us. Retrieved August 7, 2021.