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  Blatt, Genevieve
CANDIDATE DETAILS
AffiliationDemocratic  
 
NameGenevieve Blatt
Address384 South Highland Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , United States
EmailNone
WebsiteNone
Born June 19, 1913
DiedJuly 04, 1996 (83 years)
ContributorThomas Walker
Last ModifedScottĀ³
Dec 06, 2011 09:12pm
Tags
InfoJudge Genevieve Blatt, the first woman to be elected to statewide office in Pennsylvania and to serve on the state's appellate court, died on Thursday at a retirement home in Hampden Township, Pa. She was 83 and a former resident of Harrisburg.

She spent more than 50 years in public service, starting as secretary and chief examiner of the Pittsburgh Civil Service Commission in 1938.

She became a force in Pennsylvania's Democratic Party as a member of the Democratic National Committee and the party's National Policy Committee. She attended every Democratic National Convention from 1932 to 1972 and served as vice chairwoman of the Pennsylvania delegation at the 1956 convention. She was the secretary of the State Democratic Committee from 1948 to 1971.

She was an assistant city solicitor in Pittsburgh in the 1940's. In 1954 she was elected Secretary of Internal Affairs, a statewide office. She was re-elected in 1958 and 1962 but lost her bid for a fourth term in 1966.

She won a tight race in a party primary to run for the United States Senate in 1964 but then lost the election by 50,000 votes to the Republican incumbent, Senator Hugh Scott.

In 1972, Gov. Milton J. Shapp appointed her to fill an unexpired term on the Commonwealth Court, the state's appeals court. She won election on her own the next year, was re-elected in 1983, became a senior judge a year later and retired from the bench in 1993.

For her charitable, cultural and social work for the Roman Catholic Church, she received three papal honors, including the Lady Grand Cross in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem.

Genevieve Blatt was born in East Brady, Clarion County. Majoring in economics, she received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Pittsburgh before graduating from its law school.

She is survived by two sisters, Sister Mary Frederick of Greensburg, Pa., and Bernadette B. McCloskey of Los Angeles, and a brother, Joseph A. Blatt of Pittsburgh.

During the 70s & 80s, while serving on the Commonwealth Court, she lived at 115 North Street, Harrisburg, PA.

Obituary: [Link]

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RACES
  11/08/1966 PA Secretary of Internal Affairs Lost 48.44% (-1.69%)
  11/03/1964 PA US Senate Lost 49.12% (-1.47%)
  04/28/1964 PA US Senate - D Primary Won 45.43% (+0.05%)
  11/06/1962 PA Secretary of Internal Affairs Won 49.81% (+0.03%)
  11/04/1958 PA Secretary of Internal Affairs Won 51.57% (+3.58%)
  11/02/1954 PA Secretary of Internal Affairs Won 51.92% (+4.18%)
  11/04/1952 PA Auditor General Lost 47.55% (-4.77%)
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