Elizabeth Furse | |
|---|---|
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromOregon's1st district | |
| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Les AuCoin |
| Succeeded by | David Wu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1936-10-13)October 13, 1936 |
| Died | April 18, 2021(2021-04-18) (aged 84) |
| Political party | Democratic |
Elizabeth Furse (October 13, 1936 – April 18, 2021) was aKenya Colony-bornAmerican small business owner and former faculty member ofPortland State University. She was a member of theUnited States House of Representatives from 1993 to 1999, representingOregon's 1st congressional district. She was aDemocrat, and was the first naturalized U.S. citizen born inAfrica to win election to theUnited States Congress.[1]
Furse was born inNairobi,Kenya Colony, to a Canadian mother, Barbara Elizabeth (née Ross), fromRegina, Saskatchewan, and aBritish father, Peter Reynolds Furse.[2][3] Her paternal grandparents were painterCharles Wellington Furse and nursing and military administratorDame Katharine Furse GBE RRC.[4][5] Her maternal grandfather wasJames Hamilton Ross, a Canadian rancher,Canadian Pacific Railway scout and politician who is credited as being among the first residents of the modern-day town of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. She grew up inSouth Africa. Inspired by her mother, she became an anti-apartheid activist in 1951, joining the firstBlack Sash demonstrations inCape Town, South Africa.[5]
She moved to England in 1956, before eventually moving to the United States, settling inLos Angeles, California. While in Los Angeles, she became involved in a women's self-help project inWatts, and withCesar Chavez'sUnited Farm Workers movement, working to unionize grape farm workers. Moving toSeattle, Washington, in 1968, she became involved in American Indian/Native American rights causes including fishing and treaty rights. She became aUnited States citizen in 1972. Two years later, she graduated fromEvergreen State College with aB.A.[5]
In 1978, she settled in thePortland, Oregon, area, where she attendedNorthwestern School of Law. After two years of law school, she dropped out and led the efforts of several Oregon-based American Indian/Native American tribes to win federal recognition, successfully lobbying the U.S. Congress to restore federal recognition of theCoquille,Klamath,Lower Umpqua Tribe,[6]Coos Tribe, andGrand Ronde tribes. In 1986, she co-founded the Portland-based Oregon Peace Institute,[7] establishing a mission to develop and disseminate conflict resolution curriculum in Oregon schools.
Furse was first elected to Congress in 1992, defeating State TreasurerTony Meeker, in a year where the number of women in the House grew from 28 to 47.[7][8]
In 1994, Furse, called by one Northwest newspaper the "antithesis of Congress' traditional play-it-safe politicians",[8] won reelection by 301 votes,[9] defeating businessmanBill Witt during a year when theRepublican Revolution produced a 54-seat gain for her opponent's party.
In 1996, Furse won 52% of the vote in a rematch with Witt. She declined to seek reelection in 1998, explaining that the job is "public service and not a career."[9]
In 1996, Furse and CongressmanGeorge Nethercutt (R-WA) co-founded the Congressional Diabetes Caucus[10] and authored legislation which passed in 1997 to improve coverage ofdiabetes education and supplies in theMedicare program. The Congressional Diabetes Caucus has since grown to be the largest health-related Caucus in Congress.
She also was a key player in getting funding to extend theTriMet WestsideMAX Light Rail project from its originally planned terminus on the Beaverton/Hillsboro border to downtown Hillsboro. TriMet subsequently named the plaza atSunset Transit Center after her.[7]
Furse and her partner John C. Platt owned Helvetia Vineyards and Winery inHelvetia, Oregon, where the couple planted grapes in 1982, and started their winery in 1992.[11] As of 2007, the vineyard is home to bothpinot noir andchardonnay grapes.
After retiring from Congress in 1999, she served as director of the Institute for Tribal Government atPortland State University.[12] She also spearheaded the associated educational program, "Great Tribal Leaders of Modern Times" video interviews[13] Her continued involvement in Native American affairs also brought her some attention during U.S. Senate campaigns for her high-profile endorsements of SenatorGordon Smith (R-OR). In a 2006 interview, Furse said hersupport in 2002 was because they "had a lot in common on tribal issues" and cited Smith's repeated votes againstdrilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, votes that defied pressure from Smith's fellow Republicans includingSenator Stephens [sic]; she believed "you support those people who have stood up for issues that you care about" and that Smith is a "very moral person [who] if he doesn’t agree with you, he’ll tell you" something that Furse admired.[14] Her continued support during the2008 campaign included praise for Smith as "one of the first to stand up toGeorge Bush and other Republicans to end this war".
In 2014, Furse stood for election to theWashington County Board of Commissioners in District 4, but lost the race to incumbent Commissioner Bob Terry (46.57%–53.10%).[15][16] She ran with the endorsements of CongresswomanSuzanne Bonamici and former GovernorsBarbara Roberts andTed Kulongoski.[17]
Furse was a member of the ReFormers Caucus ofIssue One.[18]
Furse died on April 18, 2021, at age 84, at her farm nearHillsboro,[7] of complications from a fall.[19]
The Congressional Diabetes Caucus, which includes 94 members of the House, including outspoken diabetes advocate Speaker Newt Gingrich, was created by Congressman George Nethercutt (R-WA) and Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse (D-OR) in the spring of 1996.
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| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromOregon's 1st congressional district 1993–1999 | Succeeded by |
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