Vera Katz

Vera Katz, born Vera Pistrak, (August 3, 1933 – December 11, 2017) was a German-born American Democratic politician of Jewish descent."Legislator seeks to build consensus". The Oregonian. November 17, 1991

She was born in Düsseldorf, Germany. She and her family fled to France some time after Hitler had become chancellor. After Germany invaded France they fled to Spain and eventually moved to New York City in the United States.

She was the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives and was the 49th mayor of Portland from 1993 through 2005. She replaced Bud Clark in 1993 and was replaced by Tom Potter in 2005.

Vera Katz died in Portland from leukemia at the age of 84.

References

Other websites
City of Portland profile

Category:1933 births
Category:2017 deaths
Category:German Jews
Category:Jewish American politicians
Category:Mayors of Portland, Oregon
Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States

Category:Politicians from New York City
Category:Refugees from Nazism
Category:Democratic Party (United States) politicians