Marjorie Lynch
Marjorie Lynch (Republican) represented
[the 14th] district of Yakima County in the House of
Representatives from 1962 to 1971.
A native of England, Lynch came to the
United States in 1945. She became a citizen in
1948, settling in Yakima with her husband,
Donald, a physician. During World War II,
Lynch was an officer in the British Women's
Auxiliary Air Force, serving in an RAF front line
station during the Battle of Britain. She also
served with the American Red Cross in
London and Paris as a home service worker.
In Yakima, Lynch was active in many
community services, including the Red Cross,
Heart Association, Chamber of Commerce,
and various other social and medical service
groups. In 1952 she served as the
chairwoman for Citizens for Eisenhower, and
was vice chair-woman of the Yakima County
Republican Club until 1956. She also served
as the vice-president of the Women's
Federation of Washington State Republican
Club, and from 1961 to 1962 she was the vice chairwoman of the Washington State Republican Central Committee.
When a vacancy occured in her
district's House seat she was the natural
choice to serve the unexpired term. After her
appointment she campaigned for the
position and in 1962 was elected to the
position. Lynch's conservative Republican
views were very much in keeping with those
of her Eastern Washington constituents. She
was a champion of farmer's rights and fought
against increases in property taxes. She had a
sincere faith in the ability of the individual to
excercise good judgement in the conduct of
their own affairs. Unlike many, she stuck to her
ideals even with politically sensitive issues. In
1970 she wrote to her constituents on the
abortion issue: "It has been my conviction
that the law should not be involved in what
should be the individual's moral and religious
responsibility. Too often we avoid individual
responsibility by asking the law to ease our
conscience."
Representative Lynch was vitally
interested in education. As chairwoman of
the Higher Education Committee for five
years, she was instrumental in the
development of Washington's new four-year
college, The Evergreen State College.
Representative Lynch was particularly
interested in getting women more involved
in business and their communities. She once
said, "No longer can women be content to
stay isolated in their homes and serve their
families. They have a responsibility as citizens
to their country and themselves. There can be
no more saying 'I'm just a housewife.'"
Politics was not her only area of
interest. Lynch highly valued community
volunteerism. While rearing three daughters.
Lynch donated every spare moment she had
to her community. In 1971 she resigned from
the Legislature in order to accept an
appointment as Northwest regional
administrator of the new federal volunteer
program, ACTION. In ACTION she directed
the regional Peace Corps. VISTA and SCORE
programs. In 1975 she was appointed by
President Ford to the position of Under
Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW). There she was
responsible for the day-to-day operation of
what was then the largest federal agency.
Suddenly striken by cancer, Lynch's career
came to an abrupt end. The only naturalized
citizen among Washington's women
legislators. contemporaries remembered her as
a woman of grace. charm, and wit who will
always be a favorite "Washingtonian."
--Political Pioneers, The Women Lawmakers