Weisenborn, Clara, 1907-1985
Biography
From Ohio History Central http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Clara_E._Weisenborn :
Clara Weisenborn was a prominent politician in Ohio from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Weisenborn was born on February 9, 1907, in Dayton, Ohio. Her maiden name was Nies. Weisenborn attended school until the eighth grade. At that time, she left school to stay home to help her parents raise her ten younger siblings. In 1923, she married Herbert Weisenborn, an insurance salesman and eventual trustee of Wayne Township. Clara Weisenborn remained at home, caring for her husband and her two children. She was active in the community, serving as president of the local Parent Teacher Association and as a member of band parents and of the local 4-H chapter. She also taught Sunday School at her church for fifty-three consecutive years and wrote a weekly newspaper column on gardening for the Journal Herald for forty-two years.
Upon her sons attaining adulthood, Weisenborn embarked upon a political career, winning election to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1952. She ran as a member of the Republican Party. Weisenborn served in this body until 1967. In 1966, she won election to the Ohio Senate. She remained in the senate until 1975, having lost reelection in 1974. While serving in the Ohio House and Senate, Weisenborn focused her attention on health and education issues. She was the first woman to serve as chair of the Senate's Education and Health Committee. Weisenborn also served on the House's Health Committee and Education Committee and on the Senate's Finance Committee and the Agriculture, Conservation and Environment Committee. Perhaps, Weisenborn's greatest contribution was cosponsoring a bill that established Wright State University. She also played a leading role in establishing the Wright State University School of Medicine.
Weisenborn died on January 26, 1985. Her life illustrates the difficulties many women faced during the twentieth century. It also symbolizes the increasing opportunities that occurred during this same time period for women.
Found in 3 Collections and/or Records:
Carol Cline Papers (MS-8)
Correspondence, notes, newsclippings, photographs, public relations materials, and a scrapbook document Carol Cline's interest and acclaim in the Dayton radio community and the public relations industry, as well as her international travels and civic commitment.
Local History Ephemera Collection
This is an ephemera collection donated by the Miami Valley Genealogical Society. The scope of collection is greatly varied. It consists of nine broad groups as follows: Central M.E. Church -- Springfield, Ohio; Political Ideologies; Clara Wiesenborn Papers; Governmental Ephemera; Publications; Family Papers; Business/Companies; Music; and Photographs.
Clara Weisenborn Papers
Weisenborn represented Montgomery County in the Ohio State Legislature for over 20 years. Her papers consist primarily of files connected with her legislative career and include working papers, committee reports, bills, correspondence, and newspaper clippings. Weisenborn's most active areas of interest were the environment, health, and education. While detailing her work in the Ohio Legislature, the papers offer very little insight into her personal life.
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