 mary rose oakar (born march 5, 1940) is an american democratic politician and former member of the united states house of representatives from ohio, the first democratic woman elected to the united states congress from that state. she is currently a member of the ohio state board of education. ==early life== oakar, who graduated with a b.a. from ursuline college in 1962 and an m.a. from john carroll university in 1966, taught at lourdes academy, a catholic high school for women, directed plays, taught at cuyahoga community college from 1968 to 1975 and served on the cleveland city council from 1973 to 1976 before winning election to the house from ohio's 20th congressional district in cleveland's west side and the surrounding suburbs. she took office in 1977, succeeding james v. stanton. ==political career== oakar, one of very few arab-american members of the house, became regarded as an increasingly powerful member. she was a high-ranking member of the banking, housing and urban affairs committee, the committee on post office and civil service and the house administration committee. oakar's high placement on these committees allowed her to bring home to cleveland large sums of money for urban renewal. oakar forged strong relationships with jewish groups in cleveland. from 1985 to 1989, she was elected to a position in the house democratic leadership, as secretary of the house democratic caucus. in 1991, she was one of nearly 100 members of congress involved in the widespread house banking scandal involving multiple overdrafts and bounced checks. the house bank, not a normally operating financial institution, was used to pay members of the house. howe
1940_births Alumni_of_women\'s_universities_and_colleges American_politicians_convicted_of_crimes American_politicians_of_Arab_descent American_politicians_of_Lebanese_descent Cleveland_City_Council_members Democratic_Party_members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives Female_members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives John_Carroll_University_alumni Living_people Members_of_the_Ohio_House_of_Representatives Members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives_from_Ohio Middle_Eastern_Christians Ohio_Democrats People_from_Cleveland,_Ohio Women_state_legislators_in_Ohio