Kaptur, Marcy, 1946-

Marcia Carolyn Kaptur (born June 17, 1946) is an American city and regional planner and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served as the U.S. Representative for Ohio's 9th congressional district since 1983. In her 20th term in the House of Representatives, Kaptur is the dean of Ohio's congressional delegation and the longest-serving woman in the history of the House.

Born in Toledo, Ohio, she graduated from St. Ursula Academy in 1964 and became the first person in her family to attend college. Kaptur received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1968 and a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Michigan in 1974. She attended the University of Manchester in Manchester, England in 1974 and undertook doctoral studies in urban planning development finance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1981. Kaptur worked as an urban planner from 1969 to 1975, as director of planning for the National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs from 1975 to 1977 and as assistant director for urban affairs in the Executive Office of the President from 1977 to 1979.

While at MIT, Kaptur was recruited to run for Congress in 1982 against freshman Republican Ed Weber. Although she was outspent by a 3-to-1 margin, Kaptur parlayed a strong economic message during the 1982 recession to stage a nationally-recognized upset. In Washington, Kaptur fought vigorously to win a seat on the House Appropriations Committee. Today she serves as the first woman to Chair the influential House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. Kaptur also serves as a senior member of the powerful House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science. Kaptur was instrumental in the creation of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.