Lois Herr

Lois Kathryn Herr (born December 23, 1941) is a progressive activist living in Pennsylvania. While working at AT&T she was leader fighting for equal rights for women in the workplace.[1] A Democrat, she ran for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district in 2004, 2006 and 2010.[2] In 2013, she was elected to the Borough Council of Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania, and took office in 2014.[3]

Lois Kathryn Herr
Democratic nominee for
U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania's 16th district
Election date
November 2, 2010
Opponent(s)Joe Pitts (R)
IncumbentJoe Pitts
Personal details
Born (1941-12-23) December 23, 1941
Hershey, Pennsylvania, US
Political partyDemocratic
ResidenceMount Gretna, Pennsylvania
Alma mater
ProfessionMarketing and public affairs, author

Early life and education and career

Herr was born in Hershey, Pennsylvania.[4] She graduated from Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania, received a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from Fordham University.[4]

Herr's first full-time job, in 1963, was as a seventh grade English teacher in Middletown Township, New Jersey. The following year she began working at Bell Laboratories. She held various senior management positions with NYNEX, AT&T, New York Telephone and Bell Laboratories through 1990, working in line operations, sales and marketing, government relations, corporate planning and finance. She gradually became aware that women at AT&T did not receive the same benefits as men, and that there were some jobs which were closed to women. Following a 1970 sex discrimination suit by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Herr and other women at AT&T worked within the corporation for equal rights for women. AT&T settled the suit in 1973.[5]

She also served as a Presidential Interexchange Executive, working under President Gerald Ford in the White House Office of Management and Budget. Herr has been scholar-in-residence at Elizabethtown College, taught in their Business Department and Center for Continuing Education and also served as Director of Marketing and Public Affairs.[6] Herr has served on several boards, including Conestoga Financial Corporation, the Pennsylvania State Board of Barber Examiners, Elizabethtown College, Penn Laurel Girl Scout Council, the Greystone Manor Therapeutic Riding Center and the Veteran Feminists of America.

Publications

Herr's first book, Women, Power and AT&T: Winning Rights in the Workplace, was published in 2002 by Northeastern University Press. According to WorldCat, it is held in 488 libraries.[7] It was reprinted by URLink in 2020. Her second book, Dear Coach: Letters Home from World War II, was published in 2009, based on over 200 letters sent to her father, Coach Ira Herr, from men and women serving in the war.[8] A third book, Dear Woman of My Dreams, was published by XLIBRIS in 2016.

Political career

Herr previously served as the Executive Director of the Lancaster County Democratic Committee and was both a local and a state committeeperson in the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. She served also as Chair of the Lebanon County Democratic Committee and a member of the National Organization for Women.[9]

Political campaigns

Herr ran for the US Congressional seat held by Republican Joseph R. Pitts in 2004, 2006 and 2010. She was defeated in each election by the incumbent.[6][10]

Electoral history
Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district: Results 2004, 2006, 2010[11]
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct Third Party Votes Pct
2004 Lois Herr 98,410 34.5% Joe Pitts 183,620 64.4% William Hagen 3,269 1.25
2006 Lois Herr 80,915 39.6% Joe Pitts 115,741 56.6% John Murphy 7,958 3.9%
2010 Lois Herr 70,994 34.6% Joe Pitts 134,113 65.4%

In 2013, Herr was elected to the Mount Gretna Borough Council as a nominee of the Democratic Party. Herr received 57 votes, defeating Republican nominee Angela Shea, who had 32 votes.[12]

In 2018, Herr was the Democratic nominee for state senator in Pennsylvania's 48th legislative district and lost to incumbent Republican Mike Folmer.[13]

Pennsylvania's 48th legislative district: State Senator results
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct
2018 Lois Herr 35,545 37.1% Mike Folmer 60,357 62.9%

Personal life

Herr is a native of Hershey, Pennsylvania and currently resides in Mount Gretna.

Works
  • Lois, Kathryn Herr, Women, Power and AT&T: Winning Rights in the Workplace, Northeastern (December 12, 2002), ISBN 978-1-55553-537-7
  • Lois, Kathryn Herr, Dear Coach: Letters Home from World War II, (August 10, 2009), ISBN 978-0-615-30230-0

References
  1. "Women, Power, and AT&T: Winning Rights in the Work Place". Hagley Library and Archives News. Hagley Museum and Library. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  2. "Herr2010.com". Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  3. Hackleman, Kathy (13 January 2014). "Mt. Gretna makes strides on treatment plant upgrades". Lebanon Daily News. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  4. "Lois K. Herr (D)". Washington Post. 2004. Archived from the original on 2009-04-25. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
  5. "Lois Herr Papers". Finding Aid. Hagley Museum and Library. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  6. Boyer, Maurice; Busby, Karen (2004-11-04). "It's status quo for Election 2004 in Chester County". Avon Grove Sun. TownNews. Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
  7. Herr, Lois Kathryn (1 January 2003). "Women, power, and AT & T: winning rights in the workplace". Northeastern University Press. Retrieved 15 September 2016 – via Open WorldCat.
  8. Herr, Lois Kathryn; Herr, Ira Risser (1 January 2009). "Dear Coach: letters home from World War II". Lois Kathryn Herr. Retrieved 15 September 2016 – via Open WorldCat.
  9. "Lois Herr on the fringe Clark T. Regitz Manheim Township". Lancaster Newspapers, Inc. 2006-10-21. Archived from the original on April 25, 2009. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
  10. "U.S. House, Pennsylvania District 16". Washington Post. 2006. Archived from the original on 2009-04-25. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
  11. http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us/
  12. "Lebanon County election results". Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  13. "2018 General Election: Senator in the General Assembly". Pennsylvania Department of State. November 6, 2018. Retrieved December 4, 2018.

Oral History at https://www.veteranfeministsofamerica.org

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