Sophia O'Hara
Sophia O'Hara | |
|---|---|
| Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania | |
| In office 17 January 1939 – 19 January 1943 | |
| Governor | Arthur James |
| Preceded by | David L. Lawrence |
| Succeeded by | Charles M. Morrison |
| Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services | |
| In office 19 January 1943 – 2 January 1947 | |
| Governor | Edward Martin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 13, 1882[1] Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | April 26, 1954 (aged 71) Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
Sophia O'Hara (13 November 1882 – 26 April 1954) was an American politician who served as the first female Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a member of the Republican party from 17 January 1939 to 19 January 1943.[2][3]
Early life
[edit]O'Hara was born on 13 November 1882 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to Patrick J. O'Hara and was of Irish descent. She became a lawyer and a member of the Luzerne county bar, having been admitted to practice in state and federal courts.[4]
Political career
[edit]O'Hara was first appointed as deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania under Governor John Stuchell Fisher in 1927, and served in that position until 1935. She was also the president of the Pennsylvania Republican Council of Women from 1929 to 1934, before becoming vice chairman of the Republican State Committee from 1934 to 1938. She was also an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania in 1928 and 1936.[5]
Following the election of Arthur James as Governor, O'Hara was appointed Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on 17 January 1939. At the end of her term on 19 January 1943, O'Hara was appointed by newly elected Governor Edward Martin as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. At the end of her tenure in 1947, O'Hara was named to the Parole Board by Governor James H. Duff. After 22 years of serving her state across multiple governorships, O'Hara decided to retire from state service at the end of her Parole Board term on 1 May 1953.[6]
Death
[edit]O'Hara was admitted to Mercy Hospital in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on 18 April 1954. She died there on 26 April, aged 71, and was buried in Saint Mary's Cemetery in Hanover Township. O'hara never married and had no children.
References
[edit]- ^ "Sophia M R O'Hara in the 1940 Census". ancestry.com. 1997. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ "The Pennsylvania Association on Probation and Parole" (PDF). pappc.org. 1954. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ "WOMAN PONDERS FATE OF SLAYERS; As Commonwealth Secretary, Sophia O'Hara Sits on Board Hearing Pennsylvania Pleas ACTING ON TWO THIS WEEK Spinster With a Career at 59 Tries in Decisions to Square Law With Social Advance". The New York Times. 21 November 1941. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ "Ohara". politicalgraveyard.com. 1996. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ "Miss S.M.R. O'Hara Obituary". newspapers.com. 27 April 1954. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- ^ "James Picks Mill S.M.R. O'Hara To Be Secretary of Pennsylvania; She Will Be First Woman in Post--C.T. Reno Is Chosen for Attorney General and J.H. Light for Agriculture". The New York Times. 12 January 1939. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
- 1882 births
- 1954 deaths
- 20th-century American politicians
- Politicians from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania Republicans
- 20th-century Pennsylvania politicians
- 20th-century American women politicians
- Secretaries of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- American people of Irish descent
- 20th-century American lawyers
- 20th-century American women lawyers