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Eliza Jane Pratt

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Eliza Jane Pratt
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 8th district
In office
May 25, 1946 – January 3, 1947
Preceded byWilliam O. Burgin
Succeeded byCharles B. Deane
Personal details
Born(1902-03-05)March 5, 1902
Anson County, North Carolina
DiedMay 13, 1981(1981-05-13) (aged 79)
Charlotte, North Carolina
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materQueens College

Eliza Jane Pratt (March 5, 1902 – May 13, 1981) was a United States Representative from North Carolina, the first woman to represent her state in the U.S. Congress.[1][2]

She was the only woman elected to the House of Representatives from North Carolina until the 1992 election of Eva Clayton.

Early life and education

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Pratt was born in Anson County, North Carolina on March 5, 1902. She attended Queens College in Charlotte, North Carolina from 1918 to 1920.[3]

Career

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In 1923, Pratt worked as an editor for the Montgomerian newspaper in Troy, North Carolina. In 1924, she was hired as an administrative assistant for Congressman William C. Hammer.[3] Following Hammer's death in 1930, Pratt worked for a succession of North Carolina representatives: Hinton James, J. Walter Lambeth and William O. Burgin.[1]

When Burgin died in office in 1946, Pratt was elected as a Democrat to fill the vacancy. She served from May 25, 1946, to January 3, 1947, and was not a candidate in the 1946 general election.[1] During her time in office, Pratt was appointed to three committees: Pensions, Territories, and Flood Control.[1]

Pratt went on to a variety of federal government jobs between 1947 and 1956 with the Office of Alien Property, the Agriculture Department, and the Library of Congress.[1] She worked as secretary for another member of Congress, Alvin Paul Kitchin, from 1957 through 1962.[1][3] In 1962, Pratt returned to North Carolina and worked as a public relations executive for the North Carolina Telephone Company.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "PRATT, Eliza Jane | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved 2018-01-18.
  2. ^ "Eliza Jane Pratt enters U.S. House, May 25, 1946". POLITICO. Retrieved 2018-01-18.
  3. ^ a b c d "Pratt, Eliza Jane | NCpedia". www.ncpedia.org. Retrieved 2018-01-18.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 8th congressional district

1946–1947
Succeeded by