Helen Fischer

Helen Marie Fischer (née Schmid; June 2, 1912 – November 29, 1986 ) was an American politician and activist. She fought for Alaska Statehood and women's rights. A Democrat, she served in the Alaska Territorial House of Representatives in 1957–1959 and then the Alaska House of Representatives 1959–1961 and 1971–1975 before and after Alaska became a state. In 2009, she was inaugurated into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame.

Personal life Helen Fischer was born in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota on June 2, 1912, and studied journalism at the University of Minnesota. She died on November 29, 1986, in Palm Springs, California representing the city of Anchorage. Fischer was one of six women at the convention. During the writing process she advocated for gender to be considered a protected class in Alaskan bill of rights, saying that such protection was necessary "because there are still states in the Union where women are not allowed to serve on juries". She was the first secretary for "Operation Statehood". As part of her role, she campaigned for Alaskan statehood with Bob Bartlett in Alaska and Washington D.C. As a member of the legislature, she created a bill to establish a State Department of Tourism.

Other work Fischer held a variety of other positions in her career. She was a chairman for the third district of American Cancer Society, on the board of trustees for the Alaska Pacific University, and on the first board of the Alaska Center for Children and Adults, She worked for the U. S. Treasury for twelve years as the director of the Alaskan Savings Bond division.

Legacy In 2009, she was inaugurated into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame due to her work in politics and Alaska's journey to statehood.