Pratt, Eliza Jane, 1902-1981

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Eliza Jane Pratt (1902-1981) was a newspaper editor, congressional staff assistant, and member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She was the first woman to represent North Carolina in Congress.

Born in Morven, North Carolina, March 5, 1902, she attended Queens College and Kings Business College in Charlotte, N.C. and Temple Secretarial School in Washington, D.C. Following school, she became the editor of the Montgomerian, a Troy, N.C. newspaper, before working as a congressional aide to several North Carolina Representatives to Congress in Washington, D.C.

After the death of William O. Burgin, for whom she was working, she was nominated by the North Carolina Democratic Executive Committee to run in a special election to fill his seat. She won and finished the term before deciding not to run again, presumably due to the illness of her mother.

Pratt worked in a number of other government positions in the following years, including in the Department of Agriculture and the Library of Congress. After returning from Washington to Anson County, she worked as director of public relations for the North Carolina Telephone Company.

She died in Charlotte, N.C. on May 13, 1981 and was buried in the Raeford City Cemetery.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Jane Pratt Papers, 1946 East Carolina University. J.Y. Joyner Library
creatorOf Jane Pratt Papers, 1946 East Carolina University. J.Y. Joyner Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
memberOf Democratic Party (N.C.) corporateBody
employeeOf Hammer, William Cicero, 1865-1930 person
employeeOf Kitchin, A. Paul person
employeeOf Lambeth, J. Walter (John Walter), 1896-1961 person
employeeOf Library of Congress corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf Normal and Collegiate Institute (Asheville, N.C.) corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf Queens College (Charlotte, N.C.) corporateBody
memberOf United States. Congress. House corporateBody
employeeOf United States. Department of Agriculture corporateBody
employeeOf United States. Office of Alien Property corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Troy NC US
Washington, D. C. DC US
Charlotte NC US
Charlotte NC US
Morven NC US
Subject
Women legislators
Women politicians
Occupation
Administrative assistants
Politicians
Public relations personnel
Activity

Person

Birth 1902-03-05

Death 1981-05-13

Female

Americans

English

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