Katharine Byron (née Edgar; October 25, 1903 – December 28, 1976), a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, was a

U.S. Congresswoman The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

who represented the 6th congressional district of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

from May 27, 1941, to January 3, 1943. She was the first woman elected to Congress from Maryland.

Early life

Katharine Edgar was born in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

on October 25, 1902, to Mary (née McComas) and Brigadier General Clinton Goodloe Edgar. She attended

independent school An independent school is independent in its finances and governance. Also known as private schools, non-governmental, privately funded, or non-state schools, they are not administered by local, state or national governments. In British Eng ...

s during her youth, such as the Liggett School in Detroit, the

Westover School The Westover School, often referred to simply as "Westover," is an independent college-preparatory day and boarding school for girls. Located in Middlebury, Connecticut, United States, the school offers grades 9–12. Early History Mary Hilla ...

Middlebury, Connecticut Middlebury is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,574 at the 2020 census. History Middlebury incorporated as a town in 1807, and named from its central position relative to Waterbury, Woodbury and Southbu ...

, and the

Holton-Arms School Holton-Arms is an independent college-preparatory school for girls in grades 3–12, located in Bethesda, Maryland. As of the 2021–22 school year, there were 667 students and 94 faculty. Since 2007, Susanna Jones has been Head of School. The s ...

of Bethesda,

. She later moved to

Williamsport, Maryland Williamsport is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,868 at the 2000 census and 2,137 as of 2010. Geography Williamsport is located at (39.598496, −77.818464). According to the United States Census Bu ...

, in 1922. The Byrons were communicants of Saint John's Church. She was a granddaughter of

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

Louis E. McComas Louis Emory McComas (October 28, 1846 – November 10, 1907) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as a member of both branches of the United States Congress and as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the District o ...

, who represented the 6th congressional district of Maryland.

Personal life

She married

William D. Byron William Devereux Byron II (May 15, 1895 – February 27, 1941), a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, was a United States House of Representatives, U.S. Congressman who represented the United States House of Representatives, Marylan ...

in 1922. Together, they had five sons: * William Devereux Byron III (1925–1990) * James “Jamie” Edgar Byron (1927-2011) * Goodloe Edgar Byron (1929–1978) – a representative from the 6th district. * David Wilson Byron (1932–1964) * Louis McComas Byron (1938–2011) She married Samuel Bynum Riddick in 1947.

Career

She was elected to Congress in a special election held May 27, 1941 to replace her husband, Representative

, after his death in an airplane crash near

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

on February 27, 1941. She advocated amending the Neutrality Act during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and gave one of five speeches on December 8, 1941, in favor of President

Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

's declaration of war on Japan. She did not seek re-election in 1942 and retired in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Death

Byron died at

Georgetown University Hospital MedStar Georgetown University Hospital is one of the Washington, D.C. area's oldest academic teaching hospitals. It is a not-for-profit, acute care teaching and research facility located in the Georgetown neighborhood of the Northwest Quadrant ...

on December 28, 1976. She is interred in Riverview Cemetery in

References

1903 births 1976 deaths Politicians from Detroit Politicians from Washington, D.C. Female members of the United States House of Representatives Women in Maryland politics Byron family of Maryland People from Williamsport, Maryland Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians {{Maryland-politician-stub

Early life

Personal life

Career

Death

See also

References