Representative Catherine Dean May

Catherine Dean May (May 18, 1914 – May 28, 2004) was a U.S. Representative from Washington and the first woman elected to Congress from the state of Washington. A member of the Republican Party, she served six consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 1959, to January 3, 1971, representing her constituents during a significant period in American political and social history.

May was born Catherine Dean Barnes in Yakima, Yakima County, Washington, on May 18, 1914. She was educated in local schools and went on to attend Yakima Valley Junior College, from which she graduated in 1934. She then enrolled at the University of Washington in Seattle, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 1936 and completing a teaching certificate in 1937. Seeking further study, she attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles in 1939, broadening her academic and professional preparation.

Before entering public office, May pursued a career in education, journalism, and broadcasting. She taught English at Chehalis High School in Chehalis, Washington, from 1937 to 1940. In 1941 and 1942 she worked in Tacoma, Washington, as a women’s editor and news broadcaster, marking the beginning of an extensive career in communications. She headed the radio department for a Seattle advertising agency from 1942 to 1943 and then directed the radio department of a Seattle insurance company from 1943 to 1944. From 1944 to 1946 she was a writer and assistant commentator for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) in New York City. Returning to her hometown region, she became women’s editor at radio station KIT in Yakima, serving in that role from 1948 to 1957. She later worked as an office manager and medical secretary at the Yakima Medical Center in 1957 and 1958 and served as president of Bedell Associates, gaining administrative and business experience that complemented her public service.

May’s formal political career began in the Washington State House of Representatives, where she served as a member from 1952 to 1958. During these years she established herself as a capable legislator and public advocate, building the political base and legislative experience that would support her later bid for national office. Her service in the state legislature positioned her as a leading Republican figure in Washington State at a time when relatively few women held elected office.

In 1958, May was elected as a Republican to the Eighty-sixth Congress, becoming the first woman from the state of Washington elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She was subsequently re-elected five times, serving six terms in Congress from January 3, 1959, until January 3, 1971. As a member of the House of Representatives, Catherine Dean May participated actively in the legislative process and represented the interests of her Washington constituents during an era marked by the Cold War, the civil rights movement, and significant domestic policy change. She served on the House Agriculture Committee, where she worked on issues affecting farmers and rural communities, and she was the ranking member of the House Beauty Shop Committee, which oversaw operations of the House beauty shop, a symbol of the growing presence of women on Capitol Hill. She also served on the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, a key congressional body overseeing nuclear policy and atomic energy development during a critical period in U.S. national security and energy policy.

During her congressional tenure, May took notable positions on major civil rights and constitutional issues. She voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1960, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968, supporting federal efforts to combat racial discrimination and protect civil rights. She also voted in favor of the Twenty-fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibited the use of poll taxes in federal elections. She did not vote on the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Her voting record placed her among those Republicans who backed key civil rights measures during the 1960s, reflecting the complex regional and partisan dynamics of that era.

May was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Ninety-second Congress in 1970. On November 14, 1970, she married Donald W. Bedell, after which she was known as Catherine May Bedell. Following her departure from the House of Representatives, she continued her involvement in public service at the federal level. She served as a member of the United States International Trade Commission from 1971 to 1975 and again from 1979 through 1980, participating in the oversight of U.S. trade policy and the adjudication of trade-related matters. In 1982, she was appointed Special Consultant to the President on the 50 States Project, further extending her record of national service.

In her later years, May remained active in business and consulting. By 2004, she was serving as president of Bedell Associates in Palm Desert, California, continuing the leadership role she had held earlier in her career. Catherine Dean May died on May 28, 2004, in Rancho Mirage, California. Her career marked a significant milestone for women in Washington State and in the United States House of Representatives, and she left a record of legislative service that spanned education, broadcasting, state government, national politics, and federal trade policy.