Shepherd, Karen, 1940-

<p>Karen Shepherd (born July 5, 1940) served in the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 1995.</p>

<p>Shepherd was born in Silver City, New Mexico, where her father, Ralph Felker, worked for the U.S. Forest Service. The family soon moved to southern Utah and lived in many small towns throughout Shepherd's childhood as the Department of Agriculture transferred them from place to place until they settled in Provo where she went to high school. Shepherd earned a B.A. in English from the University of Utah in 1962 and went on to receive an M.A. in British Literature from Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1963.</p>

<p>In 1963 Shepherd married Vincent Shepherd and they moved to Fort Lewis, Washington, where he was an officer in the Army. In Washington, she taught English at Olympic Junior College. Upon her husband's discharge from the Army, the couple both accepted positions at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, where they lived for two years.</p>

<p>A successful businesswoman and Utah state legislator, Karen Shepherd won election to the U.S. House in 1992, the “Year of the Woman.” Representing a competitive district with conservative leanings, Congresswoman Shepherd in her brief congressional career highlighted the promises and pitfalls of a period when power in the House was shifting from one political party to another.</p>

<p>Karen Shepherd was born in Silver City, New Mexico, on July 5, 1940. She grew up in several small towns in Utah before her family settled in Provo, where she attended high school. She graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English in 1962 and, a year later, earned an MA in British literature from Brigham Young University. She also served as a staff assistant to Senator Frank Edward (Ted) Moss of Utah. From 1963 to 1975 she taught high school and collegiate English. She married Vincent Shepherd, and the couple lived in Cairo, Egypt, where she taught English and he wrote textbooks. After resettling in Utah, the couple raised two children: Heather and Dylan. Shepherd also managed a family-owned oil business. She served as the Salt Lake County director of social services and, in 1978, founded Network Magazine, which addressed women’s issues. In 1988 she sold the magazine business and became director of development and community relations for the University of Utah’s business school.</p>

<p>Karen Shepherd first ran for elective office in the fall of 1990, when she won a seat in the Utah state senate, where she served two years. When U.S. Representative Douglas Wayne Owens, a Democrat, announced he would not seek re-election to his Salt Lake City district, Shepherd won the party nomination to succeed the four-term incumbent. Her platform supported abortion rights and a balanced budget amendment. She also envisioned an expanded role for the federal government in the areas of health care, education, and the environment. Shepherd developed a 10-point plan for improving children’s lives that included measures to hold accountable people behind on child support payments and to provide for full funding for Head Start programs. In the general election, Shepherd faced Republican Enid Greene, an aide to Utah Governor Norman Bangerter. Greene was a fiscal and social conservative who opposed all of Shepherd’s policy initiatives. The general election marked the first time in Utah history that the major parties pitted women candidates against one another. Shepherd narrowly edged out Greene with 50 percent of the vote to 47 percent, becoming only the second woman to represent the state in Congress. It was a noteworthy win in a district that gave less than one-third of its vote to Democratic presidential candidate William J. (Bill) Clinton (he received 25 percent statewide). From the outset, Shepherd’s seat was politically vulnerable.</p>