The Baltimore Sun
What was the name of the employer Helen Delich Bentley work for from 1945 to 1950?
Helen Delich Bentley Helen Delich Bentley ( November 28 , 1923 – August 6 , 2016 ) was an American politician who was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland from 1985 to 1995 . Before entering politics , she had been a leading maritime reporter and journalist . Early life . Bentley was born in the copper-mining town of Ruth , Nevada . Her parents were immigrant Serbians , and her father was a miner . When Bentley was eight years old , her father died of silicosis , a common miners disease , and Bentley took a part-time job in a dress shop while her mother took in boarders to support the family . While at high school , she had her first experiences of journalism and politics while working on the weekly newspaper of Ely , Nevada , which was published by Republican state legislator Charles Russell . She won scholarships to study journalism at the University of Missouri , graduating in 1944 after earning a BA degree with honors . While at college , she worked on the Senate campaign for Democrat James D . Scrugham , and was appointed his Senate secretary . Career . Journalism . Following her graduation , Bentley worked for small-town newspapers in Fort Wayne , Indiana , and Lewiston , Idaho , but she wanted to report hard news for a larger publication ; at the time , most women journalists were limited to writing society news . She wrote to all the main East Coast newspapers and eventually , in 1945 , The Baltimore Sun offered her a reporting position . She initially reported on labor and union matters , but was subsequently allocated maritime and waterfront news . She became a widely respected maritime reporter , dealing with people from dock workers to state politicians , and also writing for port agencies and shipping companies . Beginning in 1950 Bentley hosted a local Baltimore TV program on WMAR , The Port That Built a City , presenting maritime and transportation-related news . Later retitled The Port That Built a City and State , the series was produced by Bentley until 1965 and included then-novel live remotes from the decks of ships in Baltimore harbor during the early years of television . During the Vietnam War , Bentley became aware of the congestion in the port of Saigon , and traveled there to report on the problems of supplying American troops . President Johnson became aware of her report , and subsequently improvements were made to port facilities in Cam Ranh Bay to relieve pressure on Saigon . Politics . In 1969 , Bentley was offered a seat on the Federal Maritime Commission . However , she declined and asked for the position of chair instead . She was appointed and chaired the commission from 1969 to 1975 . The position made her the highest-ranking woman in President Nixons administration . During her tenure , Bentley advocated for federal support for American shipbuilding yards . Bentley challenged Democratic incumbent Clarence Long in in 1980 and 1982 . She defeated Long on her third attempt in 1984 , and was elected to the 99th Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses , serving from January 3 , 1985 , to January 3 , 1995 . During her time in office , Bentley was a strong advocate for protectionist trade policies in support of U.S . manufacturing and the U.S . Merchant Marine fleet . She also introduced legislation which enabled Chesapeake Bay to be dredged , allowing larger cargo ships to access the port of Baltimore . In the 1990s , she was sympathetic towards Serbians during the civil war in Yugoslavia , and opposed U.S . military involvement in that conflict . Bentley was not a candidate for reelection to the 104th Congress in 1994 , but was an unsuccessful candidate for nomination for Governor of Maryland . Despite an endorsement from the incumbent Democratic governor William Donald Schaefer , she was defeated in the Republican primary by the more conservative Ellen Sauerbrey . When her successor in Congress , Bob Ehrlich , gave up his seat , Bentley sought to take the seat back in 2002 . However , the district had been made significantly more Democratic in redistricting and included a large slice of Baltimore City , an area Bentley had never represented . She lost to Baltimore County Executive Dutch Ruppersberger . In 1995 , Bentley founded Helen Bentley & Associates , Inc. , and provided consultancy services on international trade , business and government . She was also a consultant for the Maryland Port Administration and the Port of Baltimore , and served on the Board of Trustees for both the Baltimore Museum of Industry and the Maritime Industries Academy High School . Recognition . In 2004 , Bentley was inducted into the International Maritime Hall of Fame . In 2006 , as part of the port of Baltimores 300th anniversary celebrations , the port was renamed the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore . Bentley was also a member of the Maryland Womens Hall of Fame , and a recipient of the Speakers Medallion , First Citizen Award and Governors International Leadership Award from the state government of Maryland . Personal life . Bentley was married to William Roy Bentley , who died in 2003 from a stroke . The couple had no children . She died at the age of 92 , at her home in Timonium , Maryland , from brain cancer .