Representative Joan Miller Lipsky View All Years

JOAN MILLER LIPSKY

Joan Miller Lipsky was born April 9, 1919 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She attended old Washington High School in Cedar Rapids and graduated from Gulf Park Academy for Women in Gulfport, Mississippi. She received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Northwestern University in 1940 and attended graduate school at the University of Iowa in 1941. She married Abbott Lipsky in 1941 and their union created three children.

She became active in community service and women’s clubs, including as chair of the Mayor’s Commission on Housing, the Mayor’s Commission on Alcoholism and the Employment Security Advisory Council. During her time as a legislator, she took a special interest in working for women’s legal, economic, and social equality through her work on behalf of Equal Rights Amendment, support of education, occupational programs and her interest in reforming women’s prisons in Iowa. She was a member of the Midwest Conference of State Legislators and recognized as an outstanding legislator by the Iowa Welfare Association.

During her final term in office, she began law school attending the University of Iowa. She passed the Iowa Bar at age 62 and worked for over 20 years. In 1979 she was name Cedar Rapids Woman of the Year. In 1986, she ran for lieutenant governor of Iowa, the last election when the gubernatorial candidates and candidates for lieutenant governor ran separately in Iowa. She remained active in her community until her passing.

Joan was a Republican from Linn County. She was the first woman elected to represent Linn County in the Iowa House of Representatives in the fall of 1966, serving six terms and one extra session. She served as Assistant Minority Leader. During her time she served on the following committees: Appropriations, Board of Control, Cities, Education, Government Reorganization, Higher Education, Human Resources, Judiciary and Law Enforcement, Schools, Social Services, Transportation and Ways and Means.

Representative Miller Lipsky passed away on August 18, 2015 at the age of 96.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EIGHTY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF IOWA, That in the passing of the Honorable Joan Miller Lipsky, the State has lost an honored citizen and a faithful and useful public servant, and the House by this Resolution would express its appreciation of her service.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be spread upon the Journal of the House, and that the Chief Clerk be directed to forward an enrolled copy to the family of the deceased.

KEN RIZER

LIZ BENNETT

ASHLEY HINSON

Committee