Florence Prague punt

Florence Prague Kahn (1914)

Florence Prag Kahn (born November 9, 1866 in Salt Lake City , Utah ; died November 16, 1948 in San Francisco , California ) was an American politician and teacher. Between 1925 and 1937 she represented the state of California in the US House of Representatives . This made her the first Jewish woman to be a congresswoman .

Career

Florence Prag, her maiden name, moved to San Francisco with her parents in 1869. There she attended Girls' High School until 1883 . She then studied at the University of California at Berkeley until 1887 . In the following years she taught English and history as a teacher. In 1899 she married Julius Kahn , who would later become Congressman , with whom she would have two sons. Like her husband, she was a member of the Republican Party .

After the death of her husband, who died during his time as a member of parliament, she was elected as his successor in Congress , where she took up her new mandate on March 4, 1925. After five re-elections, she was able to complete six legislative terms in Congress by January 3, 1937. Florence Kahn was the first woman of the Jewish faith in Congress. During her time in parliament, from 1933 onwards, many of the New Deal laws of the federal government under President Franklin D. Roosevelt were passed, which her party was rather opposed to. In 1933 the 20th and 21st amendments were ratified. Kahn was also the first woman to be a member of the military committee .

In 1936, Kahn was not re-elected. After her time in the US House of Representatives, she worked to get more women interested in politics. She was a member of the Hadassah Zionist Women's Association and the American Association of University Women . Florence Kahn died on November 16, 1948 in San Francisco.

literature

Salomon Wininger : Great Jewish National Biography . Kraus Reprint, Nendeln 1979, ISBN 3-262-01204-1 (Reprint of the Czernowitz edition 1925), Volume 3, p. 367

Web links

Commons : Florence Prag Kahn - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Florence Prag Kahn in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)

Remarks

↑ There are different sources of information with regard to her taking up office. Some mention December 7, 1925 as their starting date. The date of March 4, 1925 given in the Congress biography seems more realistic in view of the February 17, 1925 by-election date.

personal data
SURNAME	Kahn, Florence Prague
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	November 9, 1866
PLACE OF BIRTH	Salt Lake City , Utah
DATE OF DEATH	November 16, 1948
Place of death	San Francisco , California

[1] There are different sources of information with regard to her taking up office. Some mention December 7, 1925 as their starting date. The date of March 4, 1925 given in the Congress biography seems more realistic in view of the February 17, 1925 by-election date.