Representative Sonja Egenes View All Years

SONJA L. EGENES

Mr. Speaker: Your committee, appointed to prepare a suitable resolution commemorating the life, character, and public service of the late Honorable Sonja L. Egenes, begs leave to submit the following memorial:

Sonja L. Egenes was born October19, 1930 in St. Paul, Minnesota, the daughter of Reverend Sam and Lillian Carlson. She was married August 15, 1948 to John S. Egenes, to which union was born one son.

Mrs. Egenes received her B.S. degree in 1951 from Iowa State University, having attended St. Olaf College and the University of Iowa. An Iowa State University Fulbright Scholar, she did graduate work in political history in Oslo, Norway. After teaching at Randall High School for five years, she taught government at Iowa State University in 1960-1961. At the time of her death, she was serving as a member of the Luther College Board of Regents.

A member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mrs. Egenes directed the choir for 11 years; was a member of the Iowa Academy of Political Science; former director of the Iowa Metropolitan Opera Auditions; Tax Study Division; “Ideas For A Better Iowa”; Landscape Critics Council; Ames International Orchestra Festival Association; Iowa Women’s Political Caucus; Federation of Republican Women; Federated Women’s Club; Commissioner on Education Commission of the States; Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Nu honoraries.

Her political career began in 1962, as she became the first woman in Iowa to make a bid for the Fifth District seat of the U.S. Congress. A Republican, Mrs. Egenes represented Story County in the Sixty-fourth, Sixty-fifth, Sixty-sixth, Sixty-seventh, Sixty-seventh Extra, Sixty-eighth, Sixty-ninth, and Sixty-ninth Extra General Assemblies.

Sonja L. Egenes died November 27, 1984. She is survived by her husband, John, of Story City; and her son Jay, of Iowa City.

Now Therefore, Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-first General Assembly of Iowa, That in the passing of the Honorable Sonja L. Egenes, the state has lost an honorable 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.

JOYCE LONERGAN

DELWYN STROMER

RICHARD WELDEN

Committee