Elizabeth Lehman Belen

Elizabeth Lehman Belen
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
In office
1937 (1937)–1938 (1938)
Personal details
Born(1886-12-22)December 22, 1886
Westphalia Township, Michigan
DiedJuly 24, 1975(1975-07-24) (aged 88)
Meridian Charter Township, Michigan
NationalityAmerican
Political partyMichigan Democratic Party
OccupationPolitician

Elizabeth Lehman Belen (December 22, 1886 – July 24, 1975) was an American politician who served as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1937 to 1938.[1] She was the first Democratic woman elected to the Michigan Legislature. She served as a delegate to the 1940 and 1944 Democratic National Conventions.[2]

Belen was drafted by the Army during the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918.[3] She later founded the Visiting Nurses Service in the 1920s. In 1950, she unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the Michigan Senate.[4] From 1939 to 1943 she was the vice chairman of the Democratic State Central Committee for Michigan. Belen was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2014.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Legislator Details – Legislators". mdoe.state.mi.us. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  2. ^ "Elizabeth Lehman Belen Obituary". Lansing State Journal. July 25, 1975. p. 10. Retrieved December 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Elizabeth Lehman Belen". Michigan Women Forward. Retrieved December 4, 2022.
  4. ^ Golembiewski, Chris (July 13, 1987). "Gallery to hail local pioneer". Lansing State Journal. p. 9. Retrieved December 3, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "A Woman's Place is Under the Dome" (PDF). Michigan State Capitol. 2021. pp. 6–7. Retrieved December 3, 2022.