Maurine Brown Neuberger
Encyclopedia
Maurine Brown Neuberger (January 9, 1907 February 22, 2000) was an United States
senator
for the State of Oregon
from November 1960 to January 1967. She was the fourth woman elected to the United States Senate
and the tenth woman to serve in the body. She and her husband, Richard L. Neuberger
, are regarded as the Senate's first husband-and-wife legislative team. To date, she is the only woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Oregon.
, Tillamook County, Oregon
. She attended public schools, the Oregon College of Education at Monmouth from 1922 to 1924, graduated from the University of Oregon
in 1929 with a Bachelor of Arts
. She is an alumna of the Delta Zeta
sorority. She then undertook graduate study at the University of California at Los Angeles from 1936 to 1937. Brown was a teacher in Oregon public schools between 1932 and 1944; in 1937, while teaching in a Portland high school, she met Richard L. Neuberger
. The couple married in 1945, after Neuberger completed his service in World War II
. Richard Neuberger was subsequently elected to the Oregon State Senate in 1948.
and served from 1950 to 1955. During this period she was also a member of the board of directors of the American Association for the United Nations. Richard was elected to the United States Senate in 1954. In 1960, Richard died from a cerebral hemorrhage. Maurine then won a special election on 8 November 1960, as the Democrat
ic candidate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of her husband. Hall S. Lusk
had been appointed by the governor to the Senate upon Richard's death. After the election, Maurine completed Richard's remaining term from 9 November 1960 to 3 January 1961. At the same time as the special election, she won the general election for the term commencing 3 January 1961 and ending 3 January 1967; she was not a candidate for reelection in 1966. Her activities in government focused on consumer, environmental and health issues, including the sponsorship of one of the first bills to require warning labels on cigarette
packaging. In 1961 President John F. Kennedy
appointed her to be a member of the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women
.
M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
and Physician-in-Chief, Psychiatry Service, Boston City Hospital
, on July 11, 1964 in Washington, D.C.
; they remained married until 1967.
Following her time in the Senate she was employed as a lecturer on consumer affairs and the status of women, and as teacher of American government at Boston University
, the Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Studies at Harvard University
, and Reed College
. She was a resident of Portland, Oregon
until her death on February 22, 2000 at the age of 93: interment in Beth Israel Cemetery, Portland, Oregon.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
senator
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...
for the State of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
from November 1960 to January 1967. She was the fourth woman elected to 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...
and the tenth woman to serve in the body. She and her husband, Richard L. Neuberger
Richard L. Neuberger
Richard Lewis Neuberger was a U.S. journalist, author, and politician during the middle of the 20th century. A native of Oregon, he would write for The New York Times before and after a stint in the United States Army during World War II...
, are regarded as the Senate's first husband-and-wife legislative team. To date, she is the only woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Oregon.
Early life
Brown was born in CloverdaleCloverdale, Oregon
Cloverdale, Oregon may refer to:*Cloverdale, Oregon *Cloverdale, Deschutes County, Oregon *Cloverdale, Lane County, Oregon...
, Tillamook County, Oregon
Tillamook County, Oregon
Tillamook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for the Tillamook, a Native American tribe who were living in the area in the early 19th century at the time of European American settlement. In 2010, the county's population was 25,250...
. She attended public schools, the Oregon College of Education at Monmouth from 1922 to 1924, graduated from the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in 1929 with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
. She is an alumna of the Delta Zeta
Delta Zeta
Delta Zeta is an international college sorority founded on October 24, 1902, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Today, Delta Zeta has 158 collegiate chapters in the United States and over 200 alumnae chapters in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada...
sorority. She then undertook graduate study at the University of California at Los Angeles from 1936 to 1937. Brown was a teacher in Oregon public schools between 1932 and 1944; in 1937, while teaching in a Portland high school, she met Richard L. Neuberger
Richard L. Neuberger
Richard Lewis Neuberger was a U.S. journalist, author, and politician during the middle of the 20th century. A native of Oregon, he would write for The New York Times before and after a stint in the United States Army during World War II...
. The couple married in 1945, after Neuberger completed his service in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Richard Neuberger was subsequently elected to the Oregon State Senate in 1948.
Political career
Maurine entered politics herself in 1950 when she was elected a member of the State House of RepresentativesOregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
and served from 1950 to 1955. During this period she was also a member of the board of directors of the American Association for the United Nations. Richard was elected to the United States Senate in 1954. In 1960, Richard died from a cerebral hemorrhage. Maurine then won a special election on 8 November 1960, as the 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...
ic candidate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of her husband. Hall S. Lusk
Hall S. Lusk
Hall Stoner Lusk was an American jurist and politician in the state of Oregon. A native of the District of Columbia, he became a judge in Oregon, serving in both the Oregon circuit courts and later on the Oregon Supreme Court, including time as its Chief Justice...
had been appointed by the governor to the Senate upon Richard's death. After the election, Maurine completed Richard's remaining term from 9 November 1960 to 3 January 1961. At the same time as the special election, she won the general election for the term commencing 3 January 1961 and ending 3 January 1967; she was not a candidate for reelection in 1966. Her activities in government focused on consumer, environmental and health issues, including the sponsorship of one of the first bills to require warning labels on cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
packaging. In 1961 President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
appointed her to be a member of the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women
Presidential Commission on the Status of Women
The Presidential Commission on the Status of Women was established to advise the President of the United States on issues concerning the status of women. It was created by John F. Kennedy's executive order 10980 signed December 14, 1961.-Background:...
.
Later life
Maurine married Philip SolomonPhilip Solomon
Dr. Philip Solomon was an American psychiatrist and researcher.A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, Solomon served as a Commander in the U.S. Navy attached to the sixth Marine division during World War II as the Division Psychiatrist...
M.D., Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
and Physician-in-Chief, Psychiatry Service, Boston City Hospital
Boston City Hospital
The Boston City Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, was "intended for the use and comfort of poor patients, to whom medical care will be provided at the expense of the city, and .....
, on July 11, 1964 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....
; they remained married until 1967.
Following her time in the Senate she was employed as a lecturer on consumer affairs and the status of women, and as teacher of American government at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
, the Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Studies at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and Reed College
Reed College
Reed College is a private, independent, liberal arts college located in southeast Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, Reed is a residential college with a campus located in Portland's Eastmoreland neighborhood, featuring architecture based on the Tudor-Gothic style, and a forested canyon wilderness...
. She was a resident of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
until her death on February 22, 2000 at the age of 93: interment in Beth Israel Cemetery, Portland, Oregon.
External links
- Maurine Brown Neuberger Papers, 1966-1969.
- Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.
- Biography from the Oregon Historical Society.