Background
Born Mary Olszewski in Milwaukee on July 27, 1875, daughter of Constantine Olszewski (a railroad worker) and Rozalia (Martyn) Olszewski.
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Mary Olszewski Kryszak
Edit ProfileEducation
She graduated from Saint Mary"s Academy and the Spencerian Business College, and later studied at the University of Wisconsin Extension in Milwaukee.
Career
From 1921 to 1939 she was managing editor of the weekly newspaper Glos Polek ( Women"s Voice) of the Zwiazek Polek w Ameryce (Fraternal Polish Women"s Alliance of America). She had founded the Saint Catherine Society, a local lodge of the Zwiazek, in 1912, and would remain its president until her death. She already had three grown children (Leo, Rose and Wanda) "through school and with jobs of their own" when first elected to the Assembly in 1928.
Although she had worked as a teacher, bookkeeper, assistant manager and newspaper editor before seeking office, stories in the national press stated that "Mistress
Kryszak "takes in" hemstitching work at home when not engaged in lawmaking." She was the first woman elected to the legislature from Milwaukee County, and the first female Democrat to be elected to any state office. She was assigned to the standing committees on education and on public welfare.
Politics
In 1928, she unseated Republican Assemblyman Louis Polewczynski to represent the Eighth Milwaukee County district (the 8th and 14th wards of the City of Milwaukee), taking 3,889 votes to 2,659 for Socialist Nick Wroblewski and 2,239 for the incumbent Polewczynski.
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Born
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Died
July 16, 1945 (aged 69) -
Nationality
United States -
Political Party
Democratic party