Biographical Dictionary of Congressional Women - by Karen N Foerstel (Hardcover)

About the Book

This comprehensive reference guide to women who have served in Congress provides detailed biographies of each of the 200 women who have held office on Capitol Hill over the past 80 years. Along with statistics on their congressional service, the biographies contain first-hand interviews and personal anecdotes.

An introduction outlines the history of women in Congress, the obstacles they faced early in the century as well as today, and their slow but steady rise to power within the congressional hierarchy. The introduction also looks at how women campaign for national office and how the sexual scandal surrounding President Bill Clinton played a role in women running for Congress in 1998. There are also two reference charts showing every woman who has ever chaired a congressional committee, and the number of women serving in each congressional session since 1917.

Book Synopsis

This comprehensive reference guide to women who have served in Congress provides detailed biographies of each of the 200 women who have held office on Capitol Hill over the past 80 years. Along with statistics on their congressional service, the biographies contain first-hand interviews and personal anecdotes.

An introduction outlines the history of women in Congress, the obstacles they faced early in the century as well as today, and their slow but steady rise to power within the congressional hierarchy. The introduction also looks at how women campaign for national office and how the sexual scandal surrounding President Bill Clinton played a role in women running for Congress in 1998. There are also two reference charts showing every woman who has ever chaired a congressional committee, and the number of women serving in each congressional session since 1917.

Review Quotes

?A good overview of the role the 200 women who have made it to Congress have played and of the political trends that have made their presence their noteworthy.?-Booklist Spotlight on Women's History

?Foerstel's work belongs in every political science reference collection.?-Choice

?I am...happy to recommend Biographical Dictionary of Congressional Women as a well-written resource about the women who have served in Congress, past and present.?-Feminist Collections

?It is convenient having biographical information on all Congresswomen gathered into one volume, making this a unique resource.?-Reference & User Services Quarterly

?Karen Foerstel's Biographical Dictionary of Congressional Women is an invaluable compendium of biographical information on the 200 women who have served in the U.S. Congress....Foerstel has provided a valuable service....Foerstel has produced a valuable reference guide for both scholars of women in politics and of Congress.?-APSA Legislative Studies Section Newsletter

?This biographical dictionary is a welcome research tool because it provides detailed information on all women who have been elected to Congress....This is an accessible and informative research tool. The author steps beyond the dry writing style of most traditional biographical dictionaries by telling the story of each woman's rise to power....This work is especially useful to students.?-American Reference Books Annual

"A good overview of the role the 200 women who have made it to Congress have played and of the political trends that have made their presence their noteworthy."-Booklist Spotlight on Women's History

"Foerstel's work belongs in every political science reference collection."-Choice

"I am...happy to recommend Biographical Dictionary of Congressional Women as a well-written resource about the women who have served in Congress, past and present."-Feminist Collections

"It is convenient having biographical information on all Congresswomen gathered into one volume, making this a unique resource."-Reference & User Services Quarterly

"Karen Foerstel's Biographical Dictionary of Congressional Women is an invaluable compendium of biographical information on the 200 women who have served in the U.S. Congress....Foerstel has provided a valuable service....Foerstel has produced a valuable reference guide for both scholars of women in politics and of Congress."-APSA Legislative Studies Section Newsletter

"This biographical dictionary is a welcome research tool because it provides detailed information on all women who have been elected to Congress....This is an accessible and informative research tool. The author steps beyond the dry writing style of most traditional biographical dictionaries by telling the story of each woman's rise to power....This work is especially useful to students."-American Reference Books Annual

About the Author

KAREN FOERSTEL is a reporter with Congressional Quarterly Magazine. She is the co-author, with Herbert Foerstel, of Climbing the Hill (Praeger, 1996).