Helen Bohen O'Bannon (1939 – October 19, 1988) was an economist who served as the Secretary of Public Welfare for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under Governor Dick Thornburgh.[1]
Helen Bohen O'Bannon | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1939 |
| Died | October 19, 1988 |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Wellesley College, Stanford University |
| Occupation(s) | Economist, civil servant |
| Spouse | George O'Bannon |
| Children | Patrick, Colin, Casey and Sean |
A women's rights activist, she became the first woman to be appointed to the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission, serving from 1975 to 1979. She was also the first woman to be appointed as a vice president at the University of Pennsylvania.[2]
Formative years edit
Helen O'Bannon was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey in 1939. She majored in economics at Wellesley College, graduating with honors. She later earned a master's degree at Stanford.[3]
Academic and public service career edit
O'Bannon was an associate dean at the Carnegie Institute between 1973 and 1976, where she strove to make the university more accessible to women.
In 1976 O'Bannon published an economics text titled Money and Banking: Theory, Policy, and Institutions' (Harper and Row, ISBN 0-06-044877-6).
O'Bannon was Pennsylvania's Secretary of Public Welfare from 1979 until 1983, when she returned to academia, becoming the first woman to hold the position of vice president at the University of Pennsylvania.[4]
Death edit
She died from cancer at the University of Pennsylvania's hospital in Philadelphia on October 19, 1988, after a long illness.[5][6]
References edit
- ^ Collins, Huntly. "Helen O'Bannon, 49; served state and Penn as a top administrator." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 20, 1988, p. 63 (subscription required).
- ^ Collins, "Helen O'Bannon, 49; served state and Penn as a top administrator," The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 20, 1988.
- ^ Collins, "Helen O'Bannon, 49; served state and Penn as a top administrator," The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 20, 1988.
- ^ Collins, "Helen O'Bannon, 49; served state and Penn as a top administrator," The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 20, 1988.
- ^ "Person of the Week: Helen O'Bannon". Archived from the original on 2006-09-01. Retrieved 2006-09-29.
- ^ Collins, "Helen O'Bannon, 49; served state and Penn as a top administrator," The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 20, 1988.
External links edit
- "Person of the Week: Helen O'Bannon". Wilma Slaight. Susan V.G. Pinto, Office of Public Information, Wellesley College. July 11, 2000. Archived from the original on September 1, 2006. Retrieved 2006-09-29.
- 1975-1992: Timeline of Women at Penn, University of Pennsylvania Archives - Mark Frazier Lloyd, July 2001
- Free to Choose - Media - A complete transcript from the discussion panel from volume four of the 1980 Milton Friedman PBS documentary "Free to Choose"