Julia Butler Hansen Julia Butler Hansen (1907-1988), born Julia Caroline Butler, June 14, 1907, in Portland, Oregon, USA, served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1960-1974. She represented Washington's Third Congressional District as a Democrat. Her father, Donald C. Butler, was sheriff of Wahkiakum County and her mother, Maude (Kimball), was named Washington's "Mother of the Year" in 1960. Hansen attended public school in Washington. She attended Oregon State College from 1924-1926, and graduated from the University of Washington (Seattle) with a Bachelor of Arts in home economics in 1930.
Hansen's political career began as a member of the Cathlamet, Washington, city council, where she served from 1938-1946. She served in the Washington State Legislature as a member of the State House of Representatives from January 1939 until November 1960, serving as the first woman speaker pro tempore from 1955-1960. She served as chairman of the Western Interstate Committee on Highway Policies for 11 western states from 1951-1961.
She was elected simultaneously as a Democrat to the Eighty-sixth Congress and to the Eighty-seventh Congress by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of United States Representative Russell V. Mack, and was reelected to the six succeeding Congresses (November 8, 1960-December 31, 1974). She served on the House Appropriations Committee after serving for years on Education, Labor, Veteran's Affairs, Interior and Insular Affairs Committees. She did not run for reelection in 1974, and was appointed in 1975 to a six-year term on the Washington State Toll Bridge Authority and State Highway Commission. She served as chairman of the Washington State Transportation Commission from 1979-1981.
Outside of politics, she also was manager of Wahkiakum County Abstract Company and the G. Henry Hanigan Insurance Co. in Cathlamet, and served as chairman and member of the board of trustees of Century 21, State of Washington, beginning in 1958. She was the author of a book for children titled Singing Paddles, published by Binfords and Mort, which won the Julia Ellsworth Ford Foundation Award for Juvenile Literature.
She is honored by the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge for the Columbian White-tail Deer, established in 1972 in Cathlamet; the Julia Butler Hansen Elementary School, opened in 1994 in Olympia, Washington; and the Julia Butler Hansen Bridge connecting Cathlamet to Puget Island, Washington.
Hansen was married to Henry Hansen, a logger; they were parents of one son, David. She lived in Cathlamet until her death there on May 3, 1988.
Preceded by: Russell V. Mack (R) U.S. House of Representatives Washington 3rd district 1960-1974 Succeeded by: Don Bonker (D)
