Helen L. Koss papers
Collection
0319-MDHC
Helen L. Koss (1922-2008) represented Montgomery County in the Maryland House of Delegates from 1971 until her retirement in 1987. She was the first woman appointed to chair a standing committee: the Constitutional and Administrative Law Committee (1979-1987). She sponsored legislation which recognized divorced homemakers as entitled to equal compensation as their former husbands. Additionally, Koss was a proponent of reform in the insurance and housing industries, and sought more equal pay between male and female faculty members. Among the legislation that Koss sponsored during her time in office is the Displaced Homemaker's Bill, which established the first multipurpose center to counsel and train homemakers who experience a loss of income due to divorce, disability, or the death of a spouse. Delegate Koss was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame in 1997 for her work promoting gender equality. Major subject areas include women's rights, election laws, and the Displaced Homemakers Bill. The collection is primarily comprised of correspondence, bills and research material, including official committee reports.
Several letters from constituents are restricted and require pre-screening
6.00 Linear Feet
The Helen L. Koss Papers contain material from 1972 to 2002; the bulk of the materials originating between 1975 and 1979. The collection is primarily comprised of correspondence, bills and research material, including official committee reports. The vast majority of the materials relate to her position in the House of Delegates, though a small number of documents relating to Delegate Koss's speaking engagements are also included.
Helen L. Koss was born in Ellenville, New York, on June 3, 1922. She moved to Montgomery County in 1951. From 1963 to 1967, she served as president of the League of Women Voters of Maryland. During this time, the League devoted most of its efforts toward the civil rights movement in the form of advocating public accommodations for all. She was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1971, and served until her retirement in 1987. She was appointed to chair the Constitution and Administrative Law Committee in 1979, marking the first time a woman held the chair of a permanent committee in Maryland.
During her tenure in the Maryland House of Delegates, Helen L. Koss focused most of her efforts on campaign reform and eliminating gender discrimination in the credit, housing and insurance industries. She also proposed numerous bills which aimed at improving the plight of divorced women. Her greatest achievement was the Displaced Homemakers Bill, a bill which established a center for training women in skills which would enable them to work outside of the home.
This collection is organized as five series:
Processed by Trevor Wylie, July 2011.
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives