Virginia Knauer
Virginia Knauer | |
---|---|
W. Thacher Longstreth | |
Personal details | |
Born | Virginia Harrington Wright March 28, 1915 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
Died | October 16, 2011 Washington, D.C. | (aged 96)
Spouse | Wilhelm Knauer |
Children | Two |
Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania |
a.^ Though the Office of Consumer Affairs was originally created by an Executive Order in February of 1971,[1] it was not backed by statutory law until Congressional approval was given in October of that year.[2] b.^ Richard W. Richards served as Acting Director from the date of Knauer's departure until August of 1969.[3] | |
Virginia Harrington Knauer (née Wright; March 28, 1915 – October 16, 2011) was an American Republican politician. She served as the Special Assistant to the President for Consumer Affairs and Director of the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs (1969–1977 and 1981–1989). In 1959 she became the first Republican woman to be elected to the
Early life and education
Knauer was born Virginia Harrington Wright on March 28, 1915, in
During the 1950s, Knauer was one of the country's top breeders of
Political career
A Republican party operative, Knauer was elected to the Philadelphia City Council in the 1959 municipal election. Later, she was the head of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Consumer Protection.[5] She became Richard Nixon's special assistant for consumer affairs in 1969. At the time, she was the highest-ranking woman in the administration. She also became the director of the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs, where she became an energetic supporter of consumers' rights. In 1970, she told The Washington Post, "I've been a feminist for 20 years, and I'm all for advancing women in public office."[5] Her top assistant was a lawyer named Elizabeth Hanford, whom she introduced to her future husband, Bob Dole.[5]
In office, Knauer promoted recycling and nutritional labeling, unit pricing of groceries, and other consumer-friendly features. She predicted that, because of domestic automakers' reluctance to install safety and environmental improvements, among other advances, foreign manufacturers would increase their share of the U.S. auto market.[5] During the 1973–1975 recession, she recommended that households eat more "liver, kidney, brains, and heart" after stagflation caused meat prices to double.[7] She also headed the Office of Consumer Affairs during the
Family
Knauer married Wilhelm F. Knauer, a lawyer, in 1940.
References
- ^ Morris, John D. (February 25, 1971). "President Urges U.S. Set Product Safety Standards; Forms Consumer Affairs Office in White House Under Mrs. Knauer Nixon Urges Product Safety Standards". The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- ^ "Buyers bill voted in House". The Baltimore Sun. October 15, 1971. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- ^ Sennett, William (December 27, 1969). "Big Strides In Consumer Protection". The Beaver County Times. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- ^ "Virginia Knauer, Consumer Advocate, Dies at 96", by William Grimes, The New York Times, October 27, 2011
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Schudel, Matt, "An early, energetic voice for consumers", Obituary, The Washington Post, Oct. 30, 2011, p. C8.
- ^ Naedele, Walter F. (October 19, 2011). "Virginia Wright Knauer, 96, U.S. consumer official". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 17, 2012.
- OCLC 1260107112.
- ^ a b Morrison, John F. (October 18, 2011). "Virginia Knauer, 96, hot-dog watchdog". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 17, 2012.