Marion West Higgins
Encyclopedia
Marion West Higgins was an American
Republican Party
politician who served as the first female Speaker
of the New Jersey General Assembly
. She was only the third woman (after Minnie D. Craig
of North Dakota
and Consuelo N. Bailey
of Vermont
) to serve as speaker of a state House of Representatives in the United States.
to Marion (Speaks) and Dr. James E. West
. Her father was the first Chief Scout Executive
of the Boy Scouts of America
, serving from 1911 to 1943. She attended New Rochelle High School
before entering Mount Holyoke College
, where she graduated with a degree in political science in 1936. In 1941 she married William F. Higgins, and in 1949 they moved to Hillsdale, New Jersey
to open a real estate and insurance business.
Higgins became involved in Bergen County
Republican politics, and in 1959 she was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly
, where she served three terms. In 1964 she was selected as majority leader, and in 1965 she was selected as Speaker. In January 1965, she briefly served as Acting Governor of New Jersey
when Richard J. Hughes
was out of the state. New Jersey Senate
President Charles W. Sandman, Jr.
also absented himself from the state so that Higgins would be accorded the honor of serving as Acting Governor, the first woman to do so in state history.
Higgins ran for State Senate in 1965 on the Republican Party's Bergen County slate, but all four Republican candidates went down to defeat in the general election, as Democrats took control of both houses of the Legislature.
After her tenure in the Assembly, Higgins continued to operate the Hillsdale real estate business with her husband. In 1973 she followed in her father's footsteps by becoming a member of the Bergen County Council of the Boy Scouts of America. She was also the first woman to serve on the board of Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc.
In 1991, at the age of 76, Higgins died at Pascack Valley Hospital
in Westwood, New Jersey
after suffering injuries in a car accident in Hillsdale. She is buried at Maryrest Cemetery in Mahwah
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Republican Party
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...
politician who served as the first female Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
. She was only the third woman (after Minnie D. Craig
Minnie D. Craig
Minnie D. Craig was an American legislator, notable as the first female speaker of a state House of Representatives in the United States....
of North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
and Consuelo N. Bailey
Consuelo N. Bailey
Consuelo Northrop Bailey was an American lawyer and elected official.Bailey was elected to the Vermont Senate in 1930, and in 1931 became the first woman to be admitted to practice before the Vermont Supreme Court....
of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
) to serve as speaker of a state House of Representatives in the United States.
Biography
Higgins was born in 1915 in New Rochelle, New YorkNew Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
to Marion (Speaks) and Dr. James E. West
James E. West (Scouting)
Dr. James E. West was a lawyer and an advocate of children's rights, who became the first professional Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America , serving from 1911–1943. Upon his retirement from the BSA, West was given the title of Chief Scout.-Personal life:His father died around the...
. Her father was the first Chief Scout Executive
Chief Scout Executive
The Chief Scout Executive is the top professional of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America. In most similar non-profit organizations, this is equivalent to the position of executive director....
of the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, serving from 1911 to 1943. She attended New Rochelle High School
New Rochelle High School
New Rochelle High School is a public high school, comprising grades 9 through 12, in New Rochelle, New York, operated by the City School District of New Rochelle. NRHS serves over 3,300 students; offering more than 240 courses, including honors, research and advanced placement courses.NRHS...
before entering Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
, where she graduated with a degree in political science in 1936. In 1941 she married William F. Higgins, and in 1949 they moved to Hillsdale, New Jersey
Hillsdale, New Jersey
Hillsdale is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 10,219.The populated area today known as Hillsdale took form in the mid-to-late 19th century as land speculators, led by David P. Patterson, developed subdivisons to profit from the...
to open a real estate and insurance business.
Higgins became involved in Bergen County
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
Republican politics, and in 1959 she was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
, where she served three terms. In 1964 she was selected as majority leader, and in 1965 she was selected as Speaker. In January 1965, she briefly served as Acting Governor of New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey
The Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
when Richard J. Hughes
Richard J. Hughes
Richard Joseph Hughes was an American Democratic Party politician, who served as the 45th Governor of New Jersey from 1962 to 1970, and as Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1973–1979...
was out of the state. New Jersey Senate
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. From 1844 until 1965 New Jersey's counties elected one Senator, each. Under the 1844 Constitution the term of office was three years. The 1947...
President Charles W. Sandman, Jr.
Charles W. Sandman, Jr.
Charles William Sandman, Jr. was an American Republican Party politician who represented New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives and was the party's candidate for Governor of New Jersey in 1973.-Biography:Sandman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
also absented himself from the state so that Higgins would be accorded the honor of serving as Acting Governor, the first woman to do so in state history.
Higgins ran for State Senate in 1965 on the Republican Party's Bergen County slate, but all four Republican candidates went down to defeat in the general election, as Democrats took control of both houses of the Legislature.
After her tenure in the Assembly, Higgins continued to operate the Hillsdale real estate business with her husband. In 1973 she followed in her father's footsteps by becoming a member of the Bergen County Council of the Boy Scouts of America. She was also the first woman to serve on the board of Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc.
Consolidated Edison
Consolidated Edison, Inc. is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the United States, with approximately $14 billion in annual revenues and $36 billion in assets...
In 1991, at the age of 76, Higgins died at Pascack Valley Hospital
Pascack Valley Hospital
Pascack Valley Hospital is a former 291 bed hospital, located at 250 Old Hook Road, Westwood, New Jersey.-History:Pascack Valley Hospital opened on June 1, 1959, as an 86-bed community hospital. It has undergone several expansions and grew to 291 beds.In 2005, the PVH completed construction on a...
in Westwood, New Jersey
Westwood, New Jersey
Westwood is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 10,908....
after suffering injuries in a car accident in Hillsdale. She is buried at Maryrest Cemetery in Mahwah
Mahwah, New Jersey
Mahwah is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 25,890. The name Mahwah is derived from the Lenni Lenape word "mawewi" which means "Meeting Place" or "Place Where Paths Meet".The area that is now Mahwah was...
.