Honeyman, Nan Wood, 1881-1970

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Nan Wood Honeyman (July 15, 1881 – December 10, 1970) was an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the first woman elected to the United States Congress from Oregon in 1936, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1937 to 1939.

Born Nan Wood in West Point, New York, she grew up in Portland, Oregon, attending private schools before graduating from St. Helen’s Hall in 1898. She later attended the Finch School in New York City for three years, where she studied music and established a lifelong friendship with Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. In 1907 she married David Taylor Honeyman, secretary-treasurer of the Honeyman Hardware Company in Portland. Nan Honeyman became active in local and state politics in her late 40s as an anti-Prohibition activist.

In 1928 she became head of the Oregon division of the Women’s National Organization for Prohibition Reform. Two years later, she aligned with liberal interests in the state and became vice chair of the Oregon Democratic Committee. In 1934, she campaigned for and won a seat in the Oregon house of representatives. Honeyman later served as a delegate to the Democratic national conventions of 1936 and 1940.

In 1936, Honeyman ran for the U.S. House; embracing the New Deal platform of President Franklin Roosevelt, she captured 53 percent of the vote. During her House service, Honeyman staunchly supported the New Deal. While in Congress, Honeyman was a strong supporter of the New Deal and the completion of the Bonneville Dam. However, her unflinching support for Roosevelt's policies ultimately led to Honeyman narrowly losing her bid for re-election in 1938. In 1940, she similarly fell short in her attempt to return to the U.S. House.

After Congress, Honeyman stayed active in politics and government. From August 1941 to May 1942 she was the senior Pacific Coast representative of the Office of Price Administration. In late 1941, she also was appointed by the Multnomah County commissioners to fill a vacant seat for a brief term in the Oregon state senate, but she resigned several months later. Honeyman’s loyalty to the Roosevelt administration was rewarded when FDR appointed her the collector of customs in the Twenty-Ninth District, Portland, in May 1942. She served in that position for 11 years, retiring in July 1953. Honeyman moved to Woodacre, California, in the mid-1960s and died there.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Matthew J. Connelly White House Files (Truman Administration), 1945 - 1952. Presidential Appointments Files, 4/1945 - 12/1952 Harry S. Truman Library
referencedIn Bertha S. Adkins Papers. 1928 - 1983. Personal Files, 1928 - 1983 Dwight D. Eisenhower Library
creatorOf Honeyman, Nan Wood, 1881-1970. Nan Wood Honeyman papers, 1935-1962. Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Rayburn, Sam, 1882-1961, Papers, 1822, 1831, 1845, 1903-2007 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
creatorOf Honeyman, Nan Wood, 1881-1970. Nan Wood Honeyman papers, 1932-1950. University of Oregon Libraries
referencedIn Oregon Commonwealth Federation. Oregon Commonwealth Federation records, ca. 1936-1942. University of Oregon Libraries
referencedIn Oregon Commonwealth Federation records, 1936-1942 University of Oregon Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Oswald Garrison Villard papers Houghton Library
referencedIn Performing Arts Collection, 1795-2012, 1890-1992 Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Darby, Melissa Cole,. Melissa Cole Darby photographs collection [graphic], 1916-circa 1986. Oregon Historical Society Research Library
creatorOf Wood, Charles Erskine Scott, 1852-1944. Papers of C. E. S. Wood, 1829-1980 (bulk 1870-1940). Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
referencedIn Records of the National Park Service, 1785 - 2006. National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records, 2013 - 2017 National Archives Library, National Archives Records Administration
referencedIn Hyland, K. U.,. Flanders family photograph album [graphic], circa 1890-1935. Oregon Historical Society Research Library
referencedIn Statements Files, 9/23/1927 - 12/26/1972. Statements Files, 9/23/1927 - 12/26/1972 Lyndon Baines Johnson Library
referencedIn Performing arts collection, 1795-2004 (bulk 1890-1992). Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
correspondedWith Biddle, Francis, 1886-1968 person
associatedWith Darby, Melissa Cole, person
associatedWith Democratic Party (Or.) corporateBody
associatedWith Democratic Party (U.S.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Friendly, Fred W. person
associatedWith Hassam, Childe 1859-1935 person
correspondedWith Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973 person
correspondedWith Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 person
correspondedWith Longworth, Alice Roosevelt 1884-1980 person
correspondedWith McCloskey, Matthew H. (Matthew Henry), 1893-1973 person
correspondedWith Morse, Wayne L. (Wayne Lyman), 1900-1974 person
correspondedWith Neuberger, Richard L. (Richard Lewis), 1912-1960 person
associatedWith Oregon Commonwealth Federation. corporateBody
associatedWith Oregon Historical Society Research Library corporateBody
memberOf Oregon. Legislative Assembly. House of Representatives. corporateBody
memberOf Oregon. Legislative Assembly. Senate corporateBody
correspondedWith Pyke, Berine S. person
associatedWith Rayburn, Sam, 1882-1961 person
correspondedWith Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962 person
correspondedWith Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945 person
correspondedWith Roosevelt, James, 1907-1991 person
correspondedWith Stevenson, Adlai E. (Adlai Ewing), 1900-1965 person
almaMaterOf St. Helen's Hall (Portland, Or.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Sweetland, Monroe person
memberOf United States. Congress. House. corporateBody
correspondedWith Villard, Oswald Garrison, 1872-1949 person
childOf Wood, Charles Erskine Scott, 1852-1944 person
associatedWith Wood, Charles Erskine Scott, 1852-1944. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
New York City NY US
Portland OR US
Woodacre CA US
West Point NY US
Subject
Political campaigns
Customs administration
Legislators
Water resources development
Women legislators
Occupation
Federal Government Official
Representatives, U.S. Congress
Social Activist
State Senator
Activity

Person

Birth 1881-07-15

Death 1970-12-10

Female

Americans

English

Information

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