Susan Gould
Susan Gould (Republican) represented
[the 21st] district of Snohomish County in the Senate.
Elected in 1974, she served two terms.
Born 1929, in Seattle, Gould now lives in Edmonds. She attended Whitman College and graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S. in Chemistry. A research chemist, Gould supported her family while her husband pursued a Master's degree. Shortly after becoming a full-time mother Gould, seeking some meaningful outside activities, joined the League of Women Voters. She quickly developed a strong interest in public policy, especially education, fiscal issues and taxation. Four years after joining Gould was the president of the Snohomish County chapter. Concerned with educational standards she campaigned for a position on the local school board. That success encouraged her increasing devotion to public issues. Though she considered running for the Legislature, she felt her children were not yet old enough to be away from them during the long legislative sessions.
A Senate position opened two years later and Gould decided the time was right. She recalls the decision was "scary", but she had a cause; "I wanted to get down there and do something about education at the state level." Though she had some campaign experience from working on Dan Evans' gubernatorial campaign, raising money was difficult. "It was particularly hard for women to raise money, because we had to prove our credibility as candidates."
In the Legislature Senator Gould devoted herself to education and fiscal issues, and served as chairwoman of the Energy Committee. She says, "I would like to see more women in office because there is a lot of t6tlent wasted out there." She gives this advice to young women with an interest in politics: "Take the opportunity -- any time it comes along -- to do something exciting for the community. If it looks like it is hard then that's all the more reasom to try it out."
--Political Pioneers, The Women Lawmakers
Born 1929, in Seattle, Gould now lives in Edmonds. She attended Whitman College and graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S. in Chemistry. A research chemist, Gould supported her family while her husband pursued a Master's degree. Shortly after becoming a full-time mother Gould, seeking some meaningful outside activities, joined the League of Women Voters. She quickly developed a strong interest in public policy, especially education, fiscal issues and taxation. Four years after joining Gould was the president of the Snohomish County chapter. Concerned with educational standards she campaigned for a position on the local school board. That success encouraged her increasing devotion to public issues. Though she considered running for the Legislature, she felt her children were not yet old enough to be away from them during the long legislative sessions.
A Senate position opened two years later and Gould decided the time was right. She recalls the decision was "scary", but she had a cause; "I wanted to get down there and do something about education at the state level." Though she had some campaign experience from working on Dan Evans' gubernatorial campaign, raising money was difficult. "It was particularly hard for women to raise money, because we had to prove our credibility as candidates."
In the Legislature Senator Gould devoted herself to education and fiscal issues, and served as chairwoman of the Energy Committee. She says, "I would like to see more women in office because there is a lot of t6tlent wasted out there." She gives this advice to young women with an interest in politics: "Take the opportunity -- any time it comes along -- to do something exciting for the community. If it looks like it is hard then that's all the more reasom to try it out."
--Political Pioneers, The Women Lawmakers