The Honorable Martha Elizabeth Keys

U.S. Representative from Kansas (January 3, 1975–January 3, 1979)

One of the large number of Democratic freshmen elected to the House in 1974 in the wake of the Watergate scandal, Martha Elizabeth Keys quickly stood out among her colleagues when she became only the second woman to serve on the influential Ways and Means Committee. Much of Keys’ oral history focuses on her tenure on Ways and Means where she recalls the heavy workload of the panel and compares the leadership of two committee chairmen, Dan Rostenkowski and Al Ullman.

The sister-in-law of Colorado Senator Gary Hart, Keys gained valuable political experience in Kansas as a volunteer for George McGovern’s 1972 presidential campaign. Keys’ skillful work for McGovern garnered the attention of national politicians like Representative Patricia Schroeder of Colorado who suggested that Keys run for Congress. In her interview, Keys reflects on her three campaigns for a Kansas House seat, including observations of the role of gender and the assistance she received from her family. The Kansas Congresswoman made headlines in 1976 when she married fellow Representative Andy Jacobs of Indiana. Keys describes the challenges she faced in marrying a House colleague who also served on Ways and Means. A founding member of the Congresswomen’s Caucus, Keys speaks about its formation and about the role of women in Congress during the 1970s.