One Foot in Washington; The Perilous Life of a Senator's Wife

Proxmire, Ellen

Published by Robert B. Luce, Inc, Washington, DC, 1963

About this Item

vii, [3], 175, [5] pages. Some soiling to fore-edge, DJ worn and soiled: small tears, small chips missing. Signed by the author on the fep. The author was the wife of Senator William Proxmire of Wisconsin. She was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honor society while attending the University of Richmond. She graduated in 1948 from the University of Wisconsin, where she was also a campus beauty queen. As a young woman, she became active in building the Democratic Party in the state. She worked closely with Proxmire. Each had been married and divorced, and each had two children by the time they attended the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1956. They married that year. After the death of Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy (R-Wis.) in 1957, William Proxmire won the special election to replace him. He won a full U.S. Senate term the next year and held the seat until deciding not to seek reelection in 1988. In Washington, William Proxmire became known for advocating consumer-protection measures, and he drew national attention for his Golden Fleece Awards, which highlighted wasteful and often ludicrous spending by the government. Ellen Proxmire managed two of her husband s Senate campaigns and had run his Senate office in the couple s early years in Washington. She also had been co-chairwoman of President John F. Kennedy s inaugural ball in 1961.n 1963, she published "One Foot in Washington: The Perilous Life of a Senator s Wife." That life for Mrs. Proxmire, was a blend of child rearing, campaigning, working in the Senate and planning events. Derived from a Kirkus review: When Ellen Proxmire met her husband, she was the Executive Secretary of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, he was the candidate for governor. Their marriage has included a working partnership in which she has twice served as his campaign manager, when now Senator Proxmire won the late Senator Joseph McCarthy's seat and retained his seat in the Senate in the following election. Ellen Proxmire makes both a persuasive case for the cause of the political, career and an attractive guide to the life she lives. She gives a view of the life of the Senate and her Senator, the areas of his responsibility, in particular his relationship with his constituents; she describes the very demanding activities of the Senate distaff side on the social scene, in charity affairs, at husbands' offices. Her own participation in the preparation for the Inauguration Ball, 1961; her enjoyment of Opening Day at the Senate; her delight in being present at the party for Malraux at the White House are part of her own career, which she finds more rewarding than glamour. An adept and able worker for her husband's cause, Mrs. Proxmire should appeal to a wide readership.

Seller Inventory # 90490

Bibliographic Details

• Title: One Foot in Washington; The Perilous Life of a Senator's Wife
• Publisher: Robert B. Luce, Inc, Washington, DC
• Publication Date: 1963
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Arthur Ellis (Jacket [author] photograph)
• Edition: Presumed First Edition, First printing.
• Condition: good
• Dust Jacket Condition: fair
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • Democratic Party