Helen L. Koss
ConstituencySilver Spring, Maryland
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 18th District
In office
1983–1987
Preceded byMary H. Boergers
Succeeded byC. Lawrence Wiser
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 19th District
In office
1971–1983
Succeeded byJoseph E. Owens
Personal details
Born(1922-06-03)June 3, 1922
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedSeptember 28, 2008(2008-09-28) (aged 86)
Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseHoward Koss
Children2
Alma materBennington College

Helen L. Koss (June 3, 1922 – September 28, 2008) was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for District 18 and 19, representing Silver Spring, Maryland for sixteen years.

Early life and education

Koss was born Helen Levine in New York City on June 3, 1922.[1] She grew up in Ellenville, New York, graduating from Bennington College in 1942 and moving to Washington, DC to work in the school lunch program at the United States Department of Agriculture.[2]

Political career

Koss served as the president of the Maryland League of Women Voters from 1963 to 1967, and she was a delegate to the Maryland Constitutional Convention in 1967 and 1978.[2] She was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1970, serving four terms from 1971 to 1987.[2] From 1971 to 1983, she represented the 19th district and from 1983 to 1987, she represented the 18th district.[3][4] During her tenure, she worked to pass the Maryland Equal Rights Amendment and legislation to aid displaced homemakers.[5] She proposed the Displaced Homemakers Bill which aimed to train women in skills relevant to work outside the home; the bill was passed and a center was created for women to learn and practice these skills.[6] Koss worked to reform and eliminate gender discrimination in the credit, housing, and insurance sectors.[6] She was a leader on state ethics and served as the chairwoman of the House Constitutional and Administrative Law committee from 1979 until her retirement in 1987.[5] She was the first woman appointed to chair a standing committee in the Maryland House of Delegates.[7] In 1993, Governor Parris Glendening appointed Koss to the state election board, where she served until 2003.[2][7]

Koss was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame in 1997.[7] She was recognized by the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County with one of its Lavinia Awards in 1999.[8]

Personal life

She and her husband, Howard, moved to Montgomery County, Maryland in 1951, where they raised two daughters.[2]

Death

Koss died of lung cancer on September 28, 2008, at Holy Cross Hospital.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Helen L. Koss (1922-2008)". Archives of Maryland (Biographical Series). Maryland State Archives. September 30, 2008.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sullivan, Patricia (September 30, 2008). "Helen L. Koss; Pioneer In Md. State Politics". The Washington Post. p. B6.
  3. ↑ "House of Delegates, Legislative Districts 19 (1975-1990)". msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  4. ↑ "House of Delegates, Legislative Districts 18 (1975-1990)". msa.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  5. 1 2 "Del. Helen Koss Will Retire". The Washington Post. June 19, 1986. p. MD2.
  6. 1 2 "Collection: Helen L. Koss papers | Archival Collections". archives.lib.umd.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  7. 1 2 3 "Helen L. Koss (1922 - 2008)". Maryland Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  8. ↑ Dennis, Steven T. (March 31, 1999). "League honors Potter, Koss for public service". The Gazette.
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