 | Thisbiography of a living personneeds additionalcitations forverification. Please help by addingreliable sources.Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced orpoorly sourcedmust be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentiallylibelous. Find sources: "Lynn Schenk" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(May 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Lynn Schenk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's49th district | |
| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Brian Bilbray |
| Secretary of theCalifornia Business, Transportation and Housing Agency | |
| In office 1980–1983 | |
| Governor | Jerry Brown |
| Preceded by | Alan Stein |
| Succeeded by | Kirk West |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lynn Alice Schenk (1945-01-05)January 5, 1945 (age 80) New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA) University of San Diego (JD) London School of Economics |
Lynn Alice Schenk (born January 5, 1945) is an American politician and lawyer fromCalifornia. ADemocrat, she served one term in theUnited States House of Representatives from 1993 to 1995.
Schenk was born in 1945, inthe Bronx, the daughter of aHolocaust survivor.[1] She attended public schools in the Bronx andLos Angeles, and graduated fromHamilton High School. She received herB.A. fromU.C.L.A. in 1967 and herJ.D. from theUniversity of San Diego School of Law in 1970. There were only three other women in her law class. Schenk did post-graduate study in international law at theLondon School of Economics.
In 1971, with two other female lawyers, Schenk broke the gender barrier at The Grant Grill in the downtownSan DiegoU. S. Grant Hotel. Women were prohibited during lunch, so a male friend made a reservation and the three women went in to eat, unescorted. They orderedmock turtle soup, a specialty not available in the hotel's other restaurants.
After trying to push them out the door, the staff seated them. The three continued to come back until a "No women before 3 p.m." sign was removed. The next year, she and other women formed the Lawyers Club of San Diego,[2] which worked for passage of theEqual Rights Amendment and on other women's rights issues.
Schenk worked as aWhite House Fellow, underVice PresidentsNelson A. Rockefeller andWalter Mondale, as a deputy attorney general in the office of theCalifornia Attorney General, and as an attorney forSan Diego Gas and Electric.California GovernorJerry Brown appointed her deputy secretary, and later secretary, of theCalifornia Business, Transportation and Housing Agency from 1977 until 1983. After Brown decided not to run for a third term, she returned to private practice.
In 1984, she ran againstRepublicanSusan Golding forSan Diego County Supervisor. Late in the race, Golding's campaign allegedly mailed out a piece of literature accusing Schenk of financial irregularities.[3] Schenk lost 45% to 55%. She later sued Golding for slander and won $150,000.[4]
In 1992, Schenk won the Democratic nomination to run forCongress fromCalifornia's 49th congressional district, covering most of San Diego.Redistricting after the1990 U.S. census had created an open seat in much of an area previously represented by six-term Republican incumbentBill Lowery. Schenk won, becoming the first Democrat to represent the area in 40 years. She was defeated for reelection in 1994 byBrian Bilbray, the Republican mayor ofImperial Beach.
After serving in Congress, Schenk ran unsuccessfully forAttorney General of California in1998.[5] Schenk served in various positions in the California state government under California GovernorGray Davis, including Chief of Staff, from 1998 until Davis wasrecalled in 2003. As Chief of Staff, she didn't "suffer fools" and was responsible for much of the "centrist" policy of the Davis Administration.[citation needed]
Currently,[when?] Schenk practices corporate law. She sits on the boards of various organizations includingThe Scripps Research Institute Board of Trustees, and theCalifornia High-Speed Rail Authority
She remains active in California and national politics.
Schenk was married toUniversity of San Diegolaw professor C. Hugh Friedman, who died on January 29, 2013. Schenk lives in San Diego.
Schenk has served on the board of the California High Speed Rail Authority since 2003 when she was appointed by Gov. Gray Davis. She serves as Vice Chairperson in 2011.
Lynn Schenk was nominated and inducted into the Women's Hall of Fame in 2012 for the title of Trailblazer, meaning, women who have paved the way for other women, or were the first in their field. The annual Women's Hall of Fame induction is co-hosted by Women's Museum of California (Located in San Diego), Commission on the Status of Women, UC San Diego Women's Center, and San Diego State Women's Studies.[6]
Lynn Schenk was nominated and inducted into the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame in 2012 by theWomen's Museum of California, Commission on the Status of Women,University of California San Diego Women's Center, andSan Diego State University Women's Studies.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| New constituency | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 49th congressional district 1993–1995 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
