Mary Jo White (Pennsylvania politician)
Mary Jo White | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 21st district | |
| In office January 7, 1997 – January 1, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Tim Shaffer |
| Succeeded by | Scott Hutchinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 27, 1941 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | February 21, 2025 (aged 83) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | H. William White Jr. (m. 1967) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Franklin, Pennsylvania[1] |
| Alma mater | Quincy University, University of Pittsburgh School of Law |
Mary Jo White (née Ransford; December 27, 1941 – February 21, 2025) was an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 21st District from 1997 to 2013.
Background
[edit]White was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 27, 1941,[2] one of five children born to Joseph and Patricia Ransford. She graduated from Aquinas High School in 1959 and received a B.A. degree from Quincy University in 1963 and a J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1967.[3]
Career
[edit]White served as a public defender for Venango County, Pennsylvania from 1974 to 1976. From 1977 to 2007 she was the Corporate Secretary and Vice-President for Environmental/Government Affairs for Quaker State Oil Corp.[citation needed]
She was elected to the Pennsylvania Senate for the 21st district and served from 1997 to 2013.[3] She chaired the Senate Environmental Committee for 12 years and was the first woman elected to the Republican Leadership in 2011.[4] She was considered an expert on issues involving the environment and land use."[5] She worked as Trustee Emerita for the Board of Trustees for the University of Pittsburgh and as a member of the Pitt Public Health Board of Visitors from 2007 to 2020.[6]
Death
[edit]White died on February 21, 2025, at the age of 83. She was survived by her husband, H. William White Jr., a Venango County judge, and their three children.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ "Senator Mary Jo White (PA)". Project Vote Smart. Archived from the original on September 30, 2010.
- ^ "Mary Jo White".
- ^ a b "Pennsylvania State Senate - Mary Jo White Biography". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
- ^ Hess, David E. (December 29, 2011). "Sen. Mary Jo White Announces She Will Not Run For Re-Election". www.paenvironmentaldaily.blogspot.com. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
- ^ "PA Report 100" (PDF). Pennsylvania Report. Capital Growth, Inc. January 23, 2009. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 27, 2020.
- ^ "Mary Jo White". www.publichealth.pitt.edu. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
- ^ Former 21st District State Representative Mary Jo White Passes Away at Age 83, explorevenango.com. Accessed March 29, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Pennsylvania State Senate - Mary Jo White official PA Senate website
- Senator White official caucus website
 | This article about a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1941 births
- 2025 deaths
- 20th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
- 21st-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly
- Pennsylvania lawyers
- Republican Party Pennsylvania state senators
- People from Franklin, Pennsylvania
- Politicians from Venango County, Pennsylvania
- Politicians from Chicago
- Quincy University alumni
- University of Pittsburgh School of Law alumni
- Women state legislators in Pennsylvania
- 21st-century American women politicians
- 20th-century American women politicians
- Public defenders
- Pennsylvania state senator stubs