Mae Nolan

Mae Nolan
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 5th district
In office January 23, 1923 – March 3, 1925
Preceded by	John Nolan
Succeeded by	Lawrence Flaherty
Personal details
Born	(1886-09-20)September 20, 1886 San Francisco, California, U.S.
Died	July 9, 1973(1973-07-09) (aged 86) Sacramento, California, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	John Nolan
Education	Ayres Business College

Mae Ella Nolan (September 20, 1886 – July 9, 1973) was an American politician who became the fourth woman to serve in the United States Congress, the first woman elected to Congress from California, the first woman to chair a Congressional committee, and the first to fill the seat left vacant by her husband's death. She took her seat in the United States House of Representatives in 1923.^{[1][2]: 19–34 [3]}

Biography

Mae Nolan was born in San Francisco, California, and attended public schools, St. Vincent's Convent, and Ayres Business College^[4] of San Francisco.^[1]

Congress

Nolan's husband, Republican U.S. Representative John Ignatius Nolan, died on November 18, 1922, near the end of the 67th Congress; he had been re-elected to the 68th Congress, which would come into existence on March 4, 1923. Two special elections were held on January 23, 1923, to fill the vacancies in the 67th Congress about to end and the 68th Congress about to begin. Mae Nolan was elected to fill both vacancies, and served from January 23, 1923, to March 3, 1925.^[1]

The Nolans' grave at Holy Cross Cemetery

Nolan was the fourth woman elected to Congress, after Jeannette Rankin, Alice Mary Robertson, and Winnifred Sprague Mason Huck. All four were elected as Republicans to the House of Representatives. Nolan was a Catholic, hence she was the first woman from such a background who served in the federal legislature.^{[2]: 34 [2]: 5}

Nolan was the first woman elected to her husband's seat in Congress, which is sometimes known as the "widow's succession". As of 2004, 36 widows have won their husbands' seats in the House, and 8 in the Senate.^{[2]: 34 [5]}

Nolan supported her late husband's agenda on minimum wage, child labor laws, and education. She distanced herself from the women's suffrage movement by dropping her membership in the Woman Suffrage Committee, depending on support from labor, which was unsupportive. Her primary concerns were improving wages and lowering taxes on workers while raising them for wealthy Americans, She also supported a bonus for World War I veterans.^{[2]: 57–58}

During her term, she was the chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Post Office Department. She was not a candidate for renomination in 1924 to the 69th Congress, saying that "Politics is entirely too masculine to have any attraction for feminine responsibilities".^[2]: 58

Death

In her later years, Nolan moved to Sacramento, California, where she died on July 9, 1973 at age 86.

See also

• Women in the United States House of Representatives

References

1. "Nolan, Mae Ella". History, Art & Archives. United States House of Representatives. 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
2. Women in Congress: 1917-2006. United States: U. S. Government Printing Office. 2006. ISBN 0-16-076753-9.
3. "Ida Mae Nolan". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. United States Congress. 2006. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
4. "Article clipped from Lansing State Journal". Lansing State Journal. 18 March 1953. p. 33.
5. "Husbands' deaths often propel widows to office". Columbia Daily Tribune. Columbia Mo. 22 January 2005. Archived from the original on 2005-03-08. Retrieved 4 November 2023.

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by John Nolan	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 5th congressional district 1923–1925	Succeeded by Lawrence Flaherty
Preceded by Frederick Zihlman	Chairperson of the Postal Expenditures Committee 1923–1925	Succeeded by Phil Swing