Rosa Lee Franklin (née Gourdine; born April 4, 1927) is an American politician and nurse who served as a member of the
Washington State Senate
The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 members, each representing a district with a population of nearly 160,000. The State Senate meets at the Washington State Capitol, Legis ...
from 1993 to 2011, representing the for the 29th District. She also served as the President Pro Tempore for the Senate.
Early life and education
Franklin was born Rosa Lee Gourdine on April 4, 1927, the fifth child born to Henrietta Bryant and James Edwin Gourdine. She was born in a house built by her father in Cordesville, an unincorporated community in Berkeley County, South Carolina, historically known for
Moncks Corner, South Carolina
Moncks Corner is a town in and the county seat of Berkeley County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 7,885 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 census. As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Moncks Corner is included within the Ch ...
. The youngest of 12 children, she was raised by her aunt and uncle in
Georgetown, South Carolina
Georgetown is the third oldest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina and the county seat of Georgetown County, South Carolina, Georgetown County, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, Lowcountry. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census ...
. After graduating high school, Franklin studied nursing at the
Good Samaritan-Waverly Hospital School of Nursing in
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...
. She later worked at a state hospital in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
and at the
Brooklyn Jewish Hospital and Medical Center in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. Franklin moved to
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
with her husband, James Franklin, a member of the military. They eventually relocated to
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...
.
After settling in Tacoma, Franklin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and English from the
University of Puget Sound. She then earned a Master of Arts in social sciences and human relations from
Pacific Lutheran University in
Lakewood, Washington. She also holds a women's Health Care Specialist Certificate from the
University of Washington
The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
Gynecorp Training Program.
[Official Rosa Franklin Biography on the Washington Senate Democratic Caucus website](_blank)
/ref> She was later awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Puget Sound.
Career
Franklin worked as a registered nurse
A registered nurse (RN) is a healthcare professional who has graduated or successfully passed a nursing program from a recognized nursing school and met the requirements outlined by a country, state, province or similar government-authorized ...
before becoming an elected representative.League of Women Voters
The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...
. She was a Washington delegate to the Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 18 ...
in 1976, 1988, and 2008.
Franklin was elected to the Washington House of Representatives
The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, and along with the Washington State Senate makes up the legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives from 49 ...
in 1990 to represent the 29th District, and she won re-election in November 1992. After the state senator from the 29th district died in January 1993, Franklin was nominated as his successor.
Personal life
Franklin and her husband James have been married for sixty-two years and have three children and five grandchildren.
See also
* Washington State Legislature
References
1927 births
Living people
Democratic Party Washington (state) state senators
Women state legislators in Washington (state)
African-American state legislators in Washington (state)
20th-century African-American women politicians
20th-century American women politicians
American nurses
21st-century African-American politicians
21st-century African-American women politicians
20th-century African-American politicians
Democratic Party members of the Washington House of Representatives
African-American nurses
20th-century members of the Washington State Legislature
21st-century members of the Washington State Legislature
{{Washington-WASenate-stub