Career in politics spans almost SO years
Boosalis: A woman
ahead of her time
By Lynne Bomberger
Staff Reporter
In an era that emphasized traditional
women's roles, Helen Boosalis became
involved in politics because of citizen
responsibility.
As former mayor of Lincoln, recent
Democratic gubernatorial candidate,
past city council member, mother,
I
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Boosalis
wife, grandmother, past president of
the United States Conference of Mayors,
and an active citizen, Boosalis is con
sidered a role model for many women.
Boosalis married in 1945 after attend
ing the University of Minnesota for two
years until her husband, Michael,
accepted a job at UNL, she said.
Feeling a loyalty to the traditional
women’s roles of mother, volunteer,
and housewife, Boosalis never returned
to finish her degree in political science
and law, despite the encouragement
she received from her husband, she
said.
Despite her long standing interest in
politics, Boosalis’ political career didn’t
start until shortly before the 1959
Lincoln City Council election. She ran
and won against four incumbents.
“I ran and have been running ever
since,” Boosalis said.
Boosalis served 16 years on the city
council and eight years as mayor. While
mayor she developed the Lincoln Lan
caster Commission on the Status of
Wromen, she has worked on issues
in creating over 12,000 new jobs in
Lincoln making it the city with the
lowest unemployment rate in the coun
try'. She also developed the downtown
beautification project.
Boosalis doesn’t take all the credit
for the accomplishments made during
her terms as mayor though, saying
“nobody does it alone.”
Citizen responsibility is what led
Boosalis into politics and it’s what will
keep her in it, she said.
“Citizen participation is essential
for a democracy to work . . . you must
‘People should have the opportunity to do
what they want — they should have choices.’
Boosalis
concerning women, and she supports
the Equal Rights Amendment. Though
she has worked for women’s rights,
Boosalis said she wasn’t following
trends, just trying to fill needs.
Boosalis has seen women’s roles
changing for the last 20 years, with
more women getting degrees and train
ing, but women are still the primary
homemakers and caregivers, she said.
The imoortant thing, Boosalis said, is
that 'people should have the oppor
tunity to do what they want — they
should have choices,’’ Boosalis said.
It is important to note however, that
Boosalis did a lot for the city while
mayor, than just developing women
issues and commissions.
Boosalis also increased the number
of businesses in Lincoln at twice the
national average. She was instrumental
understand democracy and believe in
it,” Boosalis said.
Since her loss to Gov. Kay Orr,
Boosalis has had more time to devote to
family and friends but she also has
made many plans for the future.
One plan is to explore the interest of
starting a non partisan citizen policy
network.
The network would help keep citizens
informed of issues and candidates
important to Nebraska and if necessary
— to take action, Boosalis said.
Another Boosalis goal is to write a
book about her experiences. A collec
tion of articles about her, as well as
taped and written personal notes will
aid her in this endeavor, she said.
“You can accomplish what you want
if you work at it and believe in what
you’re doing," Boosalis said.
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Editor’s Note:
With the impending confirmation
of Robert Bork to the U.S. Supreme
Court looming, now is a good time to
review some of the progress made in
women’s rights.
Our feature story outlines some
of the important legal decisions
regarding women, from the 17th
century to this year.
A story about a well known, not
self proclaimed, feminist, Helen
Boosalis, who in her political career,
that has spanned nearly 30 years,
has fought for women's rights as
well as freedom of opportunity for
everyone.
in two stories about salary dif
ferences at UNL, our reporters found
that no significant inequities exist,
when taking into account rank,
number of years in the department
and other factors.
Due to space limitations we, ob
viously, did not cover all the issues
regarding women. Many inequities,
of course, still go on, especially in
the areas of domestic violence and
sexual harassment. We can all hope
that now that the laws are changing
people’s attitudes will change as
well.