Helen Gahagan
Birth Name:
Helen Gahagan
Birth Place:
Boonton, New Jersey, United States
Profession
Actress
Fast Facts
- Was the first Democratic woman to be elected to Congress from California, and only the third overall
- Started out as a stage actress who appeared on Broadway during the 1920s and 1930s
- Became involved in politics in the late 1930s, supporting the New Deal, accompanying First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on a visit to migrant workers in California, and singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the Democratic National Convention
- Toured Europe as a singer of German and Italian opera during the late 1920s
- Appeared in only one film, the 1935 science fiction movie "She," during her acting career, spending the rest of her time on the stage
- Best known as an actress and liberal politician who campaigned against Richard Nixon in the 1950 California Senate race
- Was elected to Congress in 1944 and later won a seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee