Veronica Grace Boland (née Barrett; March 18, 1899 – June 19, 1982) was the first woman from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

to serve in the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

. 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 ...

, she served in the

U.S. House of Representatives 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 ...

during the 77th Session of Congress.

Formative years

Born in

Scranton, Pennsylvania Scranton is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, Lackawanna County. With a population of 76,328 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U ...

, on March 18, 1899, Veronica Grace Barrett was a daughter of Patrick and Winifred Barrett, who had emigrated from

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. She married

Patrick J. Boland Patrick Joseph Boland (January 6, 1880 – May 18, 1942) was a United States representative for Pennsylvania 11th District. Biography Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Irish immigrants, he attended St. Thomas College (now the University of Sc ...

. She was educated in the public schools of her community at the Scranton Technical High School.

Political career and later life

Veronica Boland was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-seventh Congress, by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the May 18, 1942 heart attack-related death of her husband on the morning before he would have won the Pennsylvania primary election (a victory which would have sent him to the U.S House for a second term). Urged by leaders of the Democratic Party to fill her husband's seat, she ran unopposed and won the seat on November 3 of that year, during the first congressional elections to be held following America's entry into

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 ...

. Sworn in on November 19, 1942, she represented Pennsylvania's 11th District only until Congress adjourned its 77th session on December 16, 1942, choosing to retire rather than become a candidate for reelection in

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in wh ...

. After returning to Scranton, she worked as an executive secretary for the Dutch Manufacturing Company, but retired from that position in 1957 when health issues required that she undergo eye surgery.

Death and interment

Boland died in Scranton on June 19, 1982. She is buried at that city's Cathedral Cemetery."Boland, Veronica Grace," ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress'', U.S. Congress.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boland, Veronica Grace 1899 births 1982 deaths American people of Irish descent Politicians from Scranton, Pennsylvania Female members of the United States House of Representatives Spouses of Pennsylvania politicians Women in Pennsylvania politics Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians

Formative years

Political career and later life

Death and interment

See also

References