Isabel Burgess
Isabel Burgess | |
---|---|
Member of the National Transportation Safety Board | |
In office 1969–1976 | |
Member of the Arizona House of Representatives | |
In office 1953–1969 | |
Succeeded by | Sandra Day O'Connor |
Personal details | |
Born | Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | April 3, 1912
Died | September 17, 1999 Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S. | (aged 87)
Spouse |
Richard Burgess
(m. 1939; div. 1967) |
Children | Richard B. Burgess, Thomas H. Burgess and Susan Burgess Cordsen |
Isabel Andrews Burgess (née Andrews; April 3, 1912 – September 17, 1999) was an American politician and public official from Phoenix, Arizona, who is known for her contributions to transportation safety at the federal level, including her tenure on the National Transportation Safety Board.
Early life and education
Burgess was born in
Personal life
In 1939, Burgess married Richard Burgess, who at the time was a certified public accountant and held a managing partnership at the Alexander Grant Company.[1] The couple had three children, Richard B. Burgess, Thomas H. Burgess and Susan Burgess Cordsen, before their divorce in 1967. Richard Burgess died in 1977.
Political career
As Burgess' local recognition came to a head with her foundation of the Phoenix Art Council, prominent Phoenix republicans began to encourage her to become involved in the Arizona Republican Party, which led to her foundation of a Republican Party Group in her district. Burgess was encouraged to run for the Arizona Legislature in 1952.
Arizona State Legislature (1953–1969)
Burgess served five consecutive terms from 1953 to 1967 in the Arizona House of Representatives representing Maricopa District 8E. During her tenure in the House, she served as Chair of the Highways and Transportation Committee and as Chair of the Joint Senate and House Interim Transportation Committee. She was also a member of the Board of Governors for the Council of State Governments, as well as the Chair of the National Legislative Transportation Committee.
She then ran for and won a seat in the
National Transportation Safety Board (1969–1976)
A hearing on Burgess' nomination was heard by the Senate Committee on Commerce on October 3, 1969, with her approval won shortly thereafter.[4] During her tenure, Burgess oversaw several crucial events in transportation safety and evolution, including the ALM Flight 980 crash in 1970.[5] Overall, Burgess oversaw 17 major NTSB investigations, as well as 12 official hearings. Burgess was noted for her frequent domestic and international speeches advocating for better safety in the transportation industry, both in the private and government sectors.
Burgess focused most of her time on the Board towards cabin safety on aircraft, better galley and gallery security, jumpseat safety, and an unprecedented platform advocating for better evacuation slides and emergency interior lighting. In 1971, she was named "Outstanding Woman in the Field of Life Support" by the Survival and Flight Equipment Association. She was also named an honorary member of the Flight Attendants Association in 1972 for her work towards greater transportation safety. Burgess served on the NTSB until 1976.[6][7][8]
Later life and death
After serving on the NTSB, Burgess briefly served in the Department of the Interior as special assistant to the assistant secretary of energy and minerals starting in 1976, before she retired permanently from civil service in January 1977.
In 1991, Burgess moved back to Arizona from her residence in Washington, D.C. Burgess died on September 17, 1999, in Scottsdale, Arizona, from breast cancer, and is buried in Cleveland, Ohio.
References
- ^ "Isabel Burgess Collection" (PDF). Arizona Historical Foundation. Arizona Historical Foundation. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ "Burgess, Isabel A., 1912–". socialarchive.iath.virginia.edu. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
- ^ "LAPR – State Library of Arizona". apps.azlibrary.gov. Archived from the original on 2017-05-10. Retrieved 2016-08-11.
- OCLC 49771.
- OCLC 503105436.
- ^ "OBITUARIES". Washington Post. 9 October 1999. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ^ Arizona State Library-Arizona State Legislators: Then and Now-Isabel Burgess
- ^ 'Isabel Andrews Burgess Former Ariz. senator-obituary,' Elyria Chronicle Telegram (Ohio), September 22, 1999, pg. 22
External links