Jocelyn Burdick

Jocelyn Louise Burdick (née Birch; February 6, 1922 – December 26, 2019) was an American politician from North Dakota who briefly served as a member of the United States Senate in 1992. She was the first woman from the state to hold this office. At the age of 97, she was the oldest living former U.S. Senator for the last eight months of her life. She was a member of the North Dakota Democratic–Nonpartisan League Party.

Early life and education Burdick was born in Fargo, North Dakota, the daughter of Magdalena Towers (Carpenter) and Albert Birch. Her great-grandmother was suffragist and abolitionist Matilda Joslyn Gage. Burdick was the great-niece, by marriage, of L. Frank Baum, the author of The Wizard of Oz, who was married to her great-aunt, activist Maud Gage Baum. She was educated at Principia College and at Northwestern University.

After graduating from Northwestern, Burdick returned to Fargo working as a radio announcer at KVOX radio.

Burdick was the first woman from North Dakota to serve in either house of the U.S. Congress. She lived in Fargo, where she remained active in politics. In April 2019, she became the oldest living former U.S. senator upon the death of Fritz Hollings.

Personal life and death Burdick was a devout Christian Scientist. Burdick's first husband was Kenneth Peterson. She had two children, daughter Leslie and son Birch, with Peterson. Peterson died in 1958 of a heart attack. Two years later she married Quentin Burdick, who was a widower himself with four children. With Quentin she had another son, Gage. Gage died in 1978 from an accident with an electric belt sander.