Swank, Gladys Rae (1900-1983)
Dates
- Existence: 1900-02-03 - 1983-09-30
Biography
Gladys Rae Swank was born February 3, 1900 in Adrian, Missouri to George and Mary Hisen. The family moved to Wapato, Washington in 1908. Gladys worked as a legal secretary in Wapato from 1918 until 1921, when she moved to Lewiston, Idaho. Gladys married Lewis R. Swank January 17, 1925 at a ceremony in Mount Vernon, Washington. The two lived at 119 16th Street in Lewiston. Gladys had a wide ranging career as a journalist, having worked for the Rural Electrification Administration's Ruralist magazine, the Spokane Chronicle, a number of Lewiston, Idaho radio stations, and served as news editor for the Clarkston Herald from 1958 to 1965. She also represented Nez Perce County in the Idaho House of Representatives for two terms from 1964 to 1968.
Swank was a founding member of the Idaho Press Women's Federation and an active member of the Young Women's Christian Association. She wasa strong proponent of the Tr-State Memorial Hospital and the completion of U.S. Highway 12. She authored several books, including Ladies of the House (and Senate): History of Idaho Women Legislators Since Statehood. Swank died September 30, 1983 after a years-long struggle with chronic pulmonary disease.
Found in 3 Collections and/or Records:
Gladys Rae Swank papers (1978)
Notes and articles written by Gladys Rae Swank (1900-1983) concerning Idaho miners and pioneers and a scholarship awarded in her name by the Idaho Press Women, Boise.
Gladys Rae Swank photographs of women legislators of Idaho
This collection contains 16 black and white photographic prints of women who served as legislators for the state of Idaho. The images were used in Swank's book Ladies of the House (and Senate): History of Idaho Women Legislators Since Statehood, self published by Swank in 1978.