Nancy Kassebaum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nancy Kassebaum
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| Chair of the Senate Labor Committee | |
| In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Ted Kennedy |
| Succeeded by | Jim Jeffords |
| United States Senator from Kansas |
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| In office December 23, 1978 – January 3, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | James B. Pearson |
| Succeeded by | Pat Roberts |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Nancy Josephine Landon
July 29, 1932 Topeka, Kansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 4, including William and Richard |
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| Education | |
Nancy Kassebaum (born July 29, 1932) is a former American politician from Kansas. She served as a United States Senator from 1978 to 1997.
Nancy Kassebaum is the daughter of Alf Landon. He was the Governor of Kansas and ran for president in 1936. She was also married to former U.S. Senator and diplomat Howard Baker.
When she won the election in 1978, Nancy Kassebaum became very well known. She was the only woman in the U.S. Senate at that time. She was also the first woman to represent Kansas in the Senate. Plus, she was the first woman elected to a full Senate term without her husband having served in Congress before her.
During her three terms, Kassebaum was known for being politically independent. This helped her work with both major parties. She helped create important laws about foreign affairs and issues at home. She worked on laws to stop apartheid in South Africa. She also led efforts for major health care reforms. These reforms helped people keep health insurance when they changed jobs.
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Early Life and Education
Nancy Kassebaum was born in Topeka, Kansas. Her mother was Theo Cobb and her father was Governor Alf Landon. She went to Topeka High School and finished in 1950.
She then studied at the University of Kansas and graduated in 1954. In 1956, she earned a master's degree in history from the University of Michigan. There, she met her first husband, Philip Kassebaum. They got married in 1956 and lived in Maize, Kansas, where they raised two children.
Nancy Kassebaum worked for a family company that owned radio stations. She also served on the Maize School Board. In 1975, she and her husband separated. Their divorce was final in 1979. She worked for a senator in Washington, D.C., for a short time before returning to Kansas.
Political Career
Becoming a Senator
In 1977, Senator James B. Pearson announced he would not run again. This opened up a Senate seat, and many people wanted to run. Nancy Kassebaum decided to join the race.
She used her father's well-known name, Landon, to help her campaign. In 1978, she won the Republican primary election. She then won the general election against William R. Roy. She was re-elected in 1984 and 1990. She chose not to run for re-election in 1996.
Time in the Senate
Key Issues and Approach
From the start, Kassebaum was different from typical politicians. She often voted in a moderate way on social issues. But she was conservative when it came to government spending. She tried to help reduce the government's debt. She became known as a "centrist broker." This meant she could work with people from different political views. She had a big impact on foreign policy and issues within the U.S.
Kassebaum is well known for her work on health care. She helped create the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This law was co-sponsored by Senator Ted Kennedy. She also worked on foreign policy. She strongly supported actions against apartheid in South Africa.
Foreign Relations Work
In 1981, Kassebaum became the head of the Senate Subcommittee on African Affairs. She became involved in the debate about apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation and discrimination. She asked President Reagan to take stronger action against the white minority government in South Africa.
President Reagan did not like apartheid, but he did not want to use economic penalties. Kassebaum and Senator Richard Lugar worked with Democrats to support specific penalties against South Africa. They demanded that South Africa release Nelson Mandela from prison.
This law, called the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, passed Congress. President Reagan tried to stop it, but Congress voted to pass it anyway. This was a big win for Kassebaum and others who wanted to end apartheid.
In 1982, Kassebaum led a U.S. group to observe elections in El Salvador. The U.S. was supporting the government there against rebel groups. Kassebaum believed that the rebels did not have much public support. She pushed the U.S. government to help El Salvador. She also wanted the U.S. to focus on human rights and avoid getting too deeply involved in the civil war.
Domestic Policy Work
When Republicans gained control of Congress in 1994, Kassebaum became the head of the Senate Labor Committee. This committee dealt with many important issues in the U.S. One of her first actions was to introduce a health insurance reform bill. Senator Ted Kennedy also supported this bill.
The bill aimed to help about 25 million workers keep their health insurance. This was important even if they changed jobs or had existing medical conditions. Kassebaum worked hard to get the bill passed. It was signed into law by President Clinton in 1996. It is known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
In her last months in the Senate, Kassebaum also helped create a new national park. This park would protect a beautiful area of tallgrass prairie in Kansas. After many years of discussion, the preserve became a reality. It covers over 10,000 acres in the Flint Hills. It helps protect this unique American landscape.
Other Important Actions
Early in her career, Kassebaum was chosen to lead the 1980 Republican National Convention for the first two days. This showed that the Republican party valued her moderate views. In 1991, Time magazine even mentioned her as a possible running mate for President George H. W. Bush.
Kassebaum voted to approve many Supreme Court judges. These included Sandra Day O'Connor, Antonin Scalia, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She later said she regretted voting for Clarence Thomas.
She also voted for the law that made Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday. She supported the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987.
In 1996, Nancy Kassebaum married former U.S. Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee. He had also served three terms in the Senate.
Life After Politics
After leaving the Senate, Kassebaum continued to be active. She served on the boards of several important foundations. These included the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She also advised the Secretary of Health and Human Services on rural health.
Kassebaum also worked on reforming how political campaigns are funded. President Clinton asked her to help find ways to improve campaign finance laws. She also served on a board that gave advice on how to choose people for government jobs.
From 2001 to 2005, her husband, Howard Baker, was the U.S. Ambassador to Japan. Nancy Kassebaum lived with him in Tokyo during this time.
She is still involved in groups that promote bipartisan work in foreign policy. She is also a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.
Nancy Kassebaum has been a critic of former President Donald Trump. She has supported Democratic candidates in Kansas elections. For example, she endorsed Laura Kelly for governor in 2018 and 2022. She also supported Barbara Bollier for the Senate in 2020. In 2014, she said she supported same-sex marriage. In 2024, she endorsed Kamala Harris for president.
Awards and Honors
In 2015, Kansas State University gave Kassebaum an honorary degree. The university also offers the Kassebaum Scholarship. This award helps students who want to work in public service. Her family has strong ties to Kansas State University.
She was honored as a Distinguished Kansas in 1978. In 2000, she received a Citation for Distinguished Statesmanship. Her alma mater, the University of Kansas, also honored her in 1985.
In 1996, she received an honorary membership from the American Library Association. In January 2025, she was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal. President Biden recognized her work in the Senate, especially on health care reform.
Personal Life
Nancy Kassebaum married John Philip Kassebaum in 1955. They had four children together. They divorced in 1979.
She married former U.S. Senator Howard Baker in 1996. After he finished his work as Ambassador to Japan in 2005, they lived in both Tennessee and Kansas. Howard Baker passed away in 2014.
Her son, William Kassebaum, served in the Kansas House of Representatives. Her other son, Richard Kassebaum, was a filmmaker. He passed away in 2008.
See also
In Spanish: Nancy Kassebaum para niños
