Edith Nourse Rogers
Edith Nourse Rogers (March 19, 1881 – September 10, 1960), known as the First Lady of the Republican Party,[1] was an activist and Republican from Massachusetts who served for over three decades in the United States House of Representatives, representing the state's 5th congressional district. She was first elected in a special race to fill the seat of her late husband John Jacob Rogers, who died in 1925.[1]
| Edith Nourse Rogers | |
|---|---|
| Former U.S. Representative from Massachusetts's 5th Congressional District From: June 30, 1925 – September 10, 1960 | |
| Predecessor | John Jacob Rogers |
| Successor | F. Bradford Morse |
| Information | |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | John Jacob Rogers (died 1925) |
U.S. House of Representatives
In late March 1925, incumbent congressman John Jacob Rogers died of appendicitis at the age of forty-three. His widow Edith Nourse Rogers subsequently ran for the House seat as a supporter of Prohibition and in addition appealed to textile workers, stating:[1]
| “ | I am a Republican by inheritance and by conviction. | ” |
Rogers overwhelmingly won the Republican nomination[2] and handily defeated Democrat opponent Eugene Foss in the special general election to succeed her late husband.[3] In her early tenure, she was an adamant conservative, beginning her political career as a Coolidge Republican.[4]
During the 1930s, Rogers was among the earliest steadfast opponents of fascism, denouncing Nazi racial bigotry.[1] She co-sponsored the Wagner-Rogers bill along with New York senator Robert F. Wagner in 1939 to help Jewish children in Nazi Germany flee to the United States for safety; the legislation failed to pass the Senate due to being blocked by anti-Semitic North Carolina senator Robert R. Reynolds.
In the post-World War II years, Rogers emerged as a fierce anti-communist, publicly giving support to the House Un-American Activities Committee (known as the HUAC).[1] She backed the investigations conducted by Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy, and called for expelling United Nations headquarters from New York City if communist China was admitted to the international organization.[1]
During the 1950s under the presidency of Moderate Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, Rogers' conservatism began to wane significantly, evident in supporting public housing as well as the Tennessee Valley Authority, programs she previously opposed.[4] However, in her last months in Congress, she voted with the conservative side 89% of the time.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 ROGERS, Edith Nourse. US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
- ↑ MA District 5 - Special R Primary Race - Jun 16, 1925. Our Campaigns. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
- ↑ MA District 5 - Special Election Race - Jun 30, 1925. Our Campaigns. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Fascinating Politics (September 2, 2020). When Do Politicians Surrender Their Opinion to Voter Will?. Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History. Retrieved September 25, 2021.