[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 40 (Thursday, March 8, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E491]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


           SUPPORTING THE GOALS OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

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                               speech of

                          HON. BRUCE L. BRALEY

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 6, 2007

  Mr. BRALEY of Iowa. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 149, 
which recognizes and honors the purpose of International Women's Day.
  Recognizing the contributions American women have made to our 
Nation's progress over the course of history is so very important 
because their contributions have too frequently taken place out of the 
limelight.
  It is truly remarkable when one takes note of the expansive list of 
contributions women have made to our country throughout its history.
  From my own State of Iowa, Lilia Abron became the first African-
American woman in the Nation to obtain a doctoral degree in chemical 
engineering at the University of Iowa.
  Phyllis Propp Fowle, a native of Iowa, became the first female Judge 
Advocate General Officer in the U.S. Army.
  Arabella Mansfield became the first female lawyer in the United 
States after being admitted to practice law in Iowa.
  And I constantly remind myself I would not be here today had it not 
been for my own mother. She went back to school to obtain her four year 
teaching degree so she could help my family make ends meet after my 
father was injured in a grain elevator accident.
  Using a single calendar day of the year to honor the barriers these 
women and countless others broke and the sacrifices they made is the 
least we can do to thank them for their contributions to our society.
  I only hope that their stories inspire other women--and men--to work 
hard to achieve the promise this Nation was founded on: a place where 
all people are created equal.

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