1. Julia May Carson was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for from 1997 until she died in 2007.
43 Facts About Julia Carson
1. 2.
Julia Carson was the second African American woman elected to Congress from Indiana, after Katie Hall, and her grandson Andre Carson succeeded to her seat following her death.
3.
Julia Carson's mother, Velma V Porter, was an unmarried teenager.
4.
Velma and Julia Carson moved to Indianapolis, while Julia Carson was still a girl.
5.
Julia Carson graduated from Crispus Attucks High School in 1955.
6.
Julia Carson was a member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority.
7.
In 1965, while a single mother and working as a secretary at UAW Local 550, Julia Carson was hired away by newly elected congressman Andrew Jacobs Jr.
8.
When his electoral prospects looked dim in 1972, Jacobs encouraged Julia Carson to run for the Indiana House of Representatives, which she did.
9.
Julia Carson won election from the central Indianapolis district in 1972, and re-election.
10.
Julia Carson served as a delegate for four years and rose to become assistant minority caucus chair.
11.
The legislature was a part-time position, and Julia Carson worked as the human resources director at an electric company from 1973 to 1996.
12.
Julia Carson once operated a clothing store, which failed and saddled her with debt for several years.
13.
In 1976, at the urging of fellow Democrats, Carson arranged for prominent local businessman and fellow Democrat Joseph W Summers to run for her house seat, as she successfully ran for the Indiana Senate.
14.
Julia Carson won re-election and ultimately served in the Indiana Senate for 14 years, sitting on its finance committee and eventually holding the minority whip position before retiring in 1990.
15.
In 1990, Julia Carson won election as the Trustee for Center Township, seemingly a step down from her legislative post, but with a considerable budget and administrative responsibilities.
16.
Julia Carson assumed responsibility for running welfare in central Indianapolis and instituted a workfare program.
17.
When Jacobs retired in 1996, Julia Carson ran as his replacement in the 10th Congressional District, winning the Democratic Party's endorsement, 49 percent to 31 percent, despite being heavily outspent in the primary by party chairman Ann DeLaney.
18.
Julia Carson was sworn into office from her hospital bed on January 9,1997, and could not travel to Washington, DC, until early March.
19.
Julia Carson won reelection with little difficulty in 1998 and 2000.
20.
In 2003, Julia Carson helped win $11 million in federal funding for transportation initiatives in Indianapolis, including highway expansion, street improvements, and improved public transportation.
21.
In 2006, Carson traveled from Washington, DC, to Indianapolis aboard Air Force One with President George W Bush to appear at the Indiana Black Expo.
22.
Julia Carson's health became an issue in tighter-than-expected races beginning in 2002.
23.
Julia Carson won re-election by about 11 points in 2004, defeating Republican Andrew Horning and Libertarian Barry Campbell.
24.
Julia Carson defeated Eric Dickerson in the 2006 election 54 percent to 46 percent, a narrow 8-point margin in a year when most incumbent Democrats skated to victory.
25.
Julia Carson was one of the 31 who voted in the House not to count the electoral votes from Ohio in the 2004 presidential election.
26.
Notably Julia Carson never lost an election throughout her entire career in both state and federal politics.
27.
Julia Carson won re-election numerous times, although redistricting added 100,000 people, many of them Republicans, to her district.
28.
Julia Carson focused on issues that affected working-class Americans, many of which she experienced, and on constituent service.
29.
Julia Carson won re-election rather handily during the next four elections.
30.
Julia Carson was one of the last representatives to support trade normalization with China in 2000 and opposed the Iraq War resolution in 2002.
31.
Julia Carson helped create the Indiana Mortgage and Foreclosure Hotline to counsel homeowners and potential buyers about the mortgage process, noting that although Indiana had one of the country's highest homeownership rates in 2001, it experienced a record number of foreclosures in 2004.
32.
Julia Carson regularly sponsored children's safety, health, and nutrition legislation, including comprehensive gun safety legislation in 1999.
33.
Julia Carson supported the new terminal for the Indianapolis International Airport, which opened on November 12,2008.
34.
Julia Carson was the first recipient of the Frank O'Bannon Award from Indiana Stonewall Democrats.
35.
Julia Carson co-sponsored the Equal Employment Non-Discrimination Act and was a member of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Equality Caucus in the US House led by US Representative Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts.
36.
On September 29,2007, the Indianapolis Star reported that Julia Carson had been an in-patient at Indianapolis's Methodist Hospital for eight days.
37.
Julia Carson was being treated for an infection in her leg near the area where a vein was removed in 1996 during double bypass heart surgery.
38.
Year-to-date, Julia Carson had participated in 87 percent of the House votes, but had missed 42 of 77 votes during the month.
39.
Julia Carson became the ninth Hoosier to lie in repose at the Statehouse Rotunda.
40.
Julia Carson was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis; the graveside ceremony included a three-volley salute.
41.
Julia Carson married after graduating and had two children, Sam and Tonya.
42.
Julia Carson's papers are held in the library of Indiana University in Indianapolis.
43.
Andre Julia Carson won the May 2008 Democratic Primary for Congress against six opponents.