Jeanette Reibman
Jeanette F. Reibman (August 18, 1915 – March 11, 2006) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 18th district from 1969 to 1994. She also served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the Northampton County district from 1955 to 1966.[1] She was one of only two women (along with Lisa Boscola) to have been elected to the Senate for Lehigh and Northhampton counties as of 2015.[2]
Jeanette F. Reibman | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 18th district | |
| In office January 7, 1969 – November 30, 1994 | |
| Preceded by | Justin Jirolanio |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Uliana |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the Northampton County district | |
| In office January 5, 1955 – November 30, 1966 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 18, 1915 Fort Wayne, Indiana |
| Died | March 11, 2006 (aged 90) Allentown, Pennsylvania |
| Spouse(s) | Nathan L. Reibman |
Early years and education
Jeanette Fichman was born on August 18, 1915 in Fort Wayne, Indiana to Meir and Pearl Schwartz Fichman[3] and graduated from North Side High School. She received an A.B. degree in Political Science with minors in English and Economics from Hunter College in 1937.[4] She received an L.L.B degree from Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington, Indiana in 1940[5] and entered the bar.[3] She received an L.L.D. degree from Lafayette College in 1969.[4]
She received honorary degrees from Lehigh University, Wilson College, Cedar Crest College and Moravian College.[3]
Career
She worked in Washington, D.C. as an attorney for the United States War Department from 1940 to 1942 and the U.S. War Production Board from 1944 to 1946.[4] After marrying attorney Nathan L. Reibman in 1943, she relocated with him to the Easton, Pennsylvania area to raise a family.[5]
In 1954, the American Association of University Women recommended she run for to the Easton Area School Board and she was elected. She soon realized that she could do more to help with Easton schools at the state level.[6]
Reibman served as member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the Northhampton County district from 1958 to 1966.[4] She served as a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 18th district from 1969 to 1996.[7]
Reibman also served as a trustee for Lafayette College from 1970 to 1985.[8]
Inducted into the Indiana University School of Law Academy of Alumni Fellows in 1993, Reibman retired from her elected position with the Pennsylvania Senate in 1994, after having been reelected seven times.[5]
Death and interment
Reibman died in Allentown, Pennsylvania on March 11, 2006, and was interred at the Easton Cemetery in Easton, Pennsylvania.[9]
Legacy
An administration building on the campus of East Stroudsburg University was named in her honor in 1972 and an early childhood learning center on the campus of Northampton Community College in 1992.[3]
References
- Cox, Harold. "House Members "R"". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.
- Lane, Shannon (August 31, 2015). "Where are the women in Lehigh Valley government?". The Express-Times. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
- "Senator Jeanette F. Reibman". www.mcall.com. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- "Pennsylvania House of Representatives - JEANETTE F. REIBMAN Biography". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- "Jeanette (Fichman) Reibman" (biography). Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University School of Law, retrieved online July 9, 2019.
- "Jeanette Reibman Papers: 1955-1998 - Biographical Sketch". www.sites.lafayette.edu. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- "Pennsylvania State Senate - Jeanette F Reibman Biography". www.legis.state.pa.us. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- Gendebien, Albert W. (1986). The Biography of a College: A History of Lafayette College 1927 - 1978. Easton, PA: Lafayette College.
- "Jeanette F. Reibman". www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
https://web.archive.org/web/20060911133224/https://www.lafayette.edu/news.php/view/8440/