[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 91 (Monday, June 4, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2964-S2965]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        REMEMBERING KATE KENNEDY

 Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor Kate 
Kennedy, a pioneering and inspiring San Franciscan.

[[Page S2965]]

  Kate Kennedy was born in County Meath, Ireland, in 1827, the second 
of seven children. After her father's death in 1841, she cared for her 
five younger sisters, even overseeing their education at home. During 
Ireland's Great Famine, Kate immigrated to the United States. She 
worked as a seamstress in New York Before moving with the rest of her 
family to California in 1856.
  Shortly after arriving in California, she began teaching in San 
Francisco's public schools. She rose to become the principal of the 
North Cosmopolitan Grammar School, but was only paid the salary of a 
primary school principal because she was a woman. In response to this 
injustice, she began a campaign for equal pay all school teachers. Her 
efforts were rewarded in 1874, when the California Legislature passed a 
law requiring female public school teachers paid the same as male 
counterparts.
  Following her landmark victory, Kate continued to teach while 
advocating for other social issues like labor and tax reforms. She 
eventually ran for state superintendent of public instruction, becoming 
the first woman to run for Statewide office in California.
  Although she didn't win, she continued to leave a mark on her adopted 
State. After being transferred for political reasons to a smaller 
school with a lower salary, Kate fought the demotion and was ultimately 
fired in retaliation by the schoolboard. She sued the board, taking her 
case all the way to the California Supreme Court. The court sided with 
Kate, delivering an opinion that still serves today as the foundation 
of teacher tenure in California.
  Shortly after the court's ruling, Kate Kennedy passed away in 
Oakland, CA, and was buried in San Francisco's Laurel Hill Cemetery in 
1890.
  Kate Kennedy's commitment to justice and willingness to fight for her 
rights is truly inspirational. As the first woman to represent 
California in the U.S. Senate, I am proud to honor her legacy and the 
historic role she played in the ongoing struggle for equality.

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