Boland, Veronica Grace, 1899-1982

Veronica Grace Boland (March 18, 1899 – June 19, 1982) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first woman from Pennsylvania to serve in the United States Congress.

Born Veronica Grace Barrett in Scranton, Pennsylvania, she graduated from the Scranton Technical High School in 1918. She later married Patrick J. Boland, a carpenter and building contractor. After being elected to Scranton’s city council and school board and serving as Lackawanna County commissioner from 1915 to 1919, Patrick Boland was elected to the U.S. House as the nominee of the Republican, Democratic, and Labor parties, choosing to caucus with the Democrats. Rising to the position of Democratic Whip, he was praised for his ability to determine how a vote would come out quickly and accurately.

After her husband's death, the executive committee of the Pennsylvania Democratic Committee turned to Veronica Boland to fill his unexpired term on June 5, 1942. Running unopposed, she won November 3. She chose not to run for a full term in the 78th Congress, an election that was held the same day as her special election. At the same time, her willingness to serve out her husband’s term bought the party’s executive committee some time to settle upon a more experienced candidate for the next Congress. Boland was sworn in and seated on November 19, 1942, less than a month before Congress adjourned on December 16. As a consequence, she received no committee assignments and made no floor speeches.

After retiring from Congress, Veronica Boland returned to Scranton and worked as an executive secretary for the Dutch Manufacturing Company until 1957, retiring after undergoing eye surgery. Boland died in Scranton.