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Portriat of Female Member of Congress is Unveiled

Date: Sept. 29, 2005
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: National Security Indigenous Peoples


PORTRAIT OF FIRST FEMALE MEMBER OF CONGRESS IS UNVEILED
Sep 29, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) joined Members of Congress at a ceremony today in the Library of Congress to unveil the newest addition to the House arts collection - a portrait of former U.S. Representative Jeannette Rankin, who, in 1916, became the first female to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. After today's unveiling, her portrait will hang on the third floor of the U.S. Capitol outside the visitors' gallery.

Kaptur joined U.S. Reps. Bob Ney, Chairman of the House Fine Arts Board, Juanita Millender-McDonald, and Nancy Johnson.

"I have been working with Leadership for nearly a decade to make sure art in the Capitol is more representative of women's achievements and contributions to our nation," said Kaptur. "We want people who visit the Capitol, especially the young people who are tomorrow's leaders, to see a full range of contributions made by all Americans - men, women, people of color, people of ethnic heritage and native Americans -- so they can be inspired by what has been accomplished and challenged by what is yet to be done."

"Like Congressman Joseph Rainey, who we honored last week for his distinction as the first African-American to serve in the U.S. House, Congresswoman Jeanette Rankin played a key role in the history of the U.S. House," Ney said. "I would especially like to thank my Ohio colleague, Rep. Marcy Kaptur, for requesting this portrait."

"This is the second time in a year that we have seen the prominent display of a women's portrait in the House of Representatives," said Kaptur. "The first was more than a year ago when the portrait of Mary Teresa Norton, the first Democratic woman elected to Congress and a champion of fair pay and workers' rights, was hung in Leader Pelosi's suite in the Capitol.

As the senior-most Democratic woman in the House, Kaptur has worked to raise awareness for the need for more art in the Capitol that is reflective of women's contributions to American society. She was recently appointed by Leader Pelosi to serve on the U.S. Capitol Preservation Commission. The commission consists of Congressional leaders from both the House and the Senate.

http://www.kaptur.house.gov/PressRelease.aspx?NewsID=1439

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