Rosalie Silber Abrams | |
|---|---|
| Majority Leader of theMaryland Senate | |
| In office 1978–1982 | |
| Maryland State Senator | |
| In office 1970–1984 | |
| Succeeded by | Barbara A. Hoffman |
| Member of the Maryland House of Delegates | |
| In office 1967–1970 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rosalie Silber (1916-06-02)June 2, 1916 |
| Died | February 27, 2009(2009-02-27) (aged 92) Towson, Maryland, U.S. |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | |
| Academic background | |
| Thesis | State Governmental Structure Affecting Enactment and Implementation of a Federal Program: A Case Study of Medicaid in Maryland (1969) |
Rosalie Silber Abrams (June 2, 1916[1] – February 27, 2009[2]) was a member of theMaryland House of Delegates (1967–70) andMaryland State Senate (1970–84). She was the first female andJewish majority leader of the state Senate (1978–82).[3] Appointed by GovernorHarry Hughes, Abrams headed the Maryland Office on Aging (now Department of Aging) from 1983 until retiring in 1996.[2]
Rosalie Silber was born to Dora (née Rodbell) and Isaac "Ike" Silber[2][4] inBaltimore, Maryland on June 2, 1916.[1] Her mother was an immigrant fromPoland and her father an immigrant fromAustria. Her parents owned a bakery in East Baltimore called Silber's Bakery.[2][4] She graduated fromWestern High School in the 1930s.[2] She attendedSinai Hospital School of Nursing and became aregistered nurse. She also attendedColumbia University.[1]
She later attendedJohns Hopkins University and graduated with aBachelor of Science in 1963 and aMaster of Science in political science in 1969.[2] Her master's thesis wasState Governmental Structure Affecting Enactment and Implementation of a Federal Program: A Case Study of Medicaid in Maryland.[2]
She married William Abrams in 1954.[2] He died in 1978.[2] Together, they had one daughter, Elizabeth "Lissa" Abrams.[2][1]
DuringWorld War II, Abrams worked as a nurse in theU.S. Navy.[1][2] She returned to work at Silber's Bakery in 1947 and worked there until she married in 1954.[2] She also taughtsex education classes atPatterson High School.[2]
Abrams was elected to theMaryland House of Delegates in 1966 and served until 1970.[1][2] Abrams represented Northwest Baltimore in theMaryland State Senate from 1970 until 1984.[1]
In 1983, she was appointed by GovernorHarry Hughes as the director of the Maryland Office of Aging. She served in that role until she retired in 1996.[2]
Abrams died ofheart failure at Gilchrist Hospice Care inTowson, Maryland on February 27, 2009.[2]
| Maryland Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Majority Leader of theMaryland Senate 1978–1982 | Succeeded by |
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