Background
Knauer, Virginia Harrington was born on March 28, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Daughter of Herman Winfield and Helen (Harrington) Wright.
government official Consumer consultant
Knauer, Virginia Harrington was born on March 28, 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Daughter of Herman Winfield and Helen (Harrington) Wright.
Bachelor of Fine Arts, University Pennsylvania, 1937. Graduate, Pennsylvania Academy Fine Arts, 1937. Postgraduate, Royal Academy Fine Arts, Florence, Italy, 1939.
Honorary Doctor of Laws, Philadelphia College Textiles and Science. Honorary Doctor of Laws, St. Francis de Sales. Honorary Doctor of Laws, Widener College, Chester, Pennsylvania.
Honorary Doctor of Laws, Tufts University. Doctor of Letters (honorary), Drexel University. Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), Russell Sage College.
Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), Pennsylvania College Podiatric Medicine. Doctor of Humane Letters, Jacksonville University. Doctor of Laws (honorary), University Pennsylvania, 1971.
She served as the Special Assistant to the President for Consumer Affairs and Director of the United States. Office of Consumer Affairs (1969–1977 and 1981–1989). In 1960 she became the first Republican woman to be elected to the Philadelphia City Council, in which she served for eight years. She was appointed to the newly created post of chief consumer advisor to Pennsylvania Governor Ray Shafer.
Knauer died on October 16, 2011 in Washington, District of Columbia, at age 96.
She grew up in Philadelphia, where her father was a professor of accounting at Temple University. During the 1950s, Knauer was one of the country"s top breeders of Doberman Pinschers.
She served as president of the Doberman Pinscher Club of America. A Republican party operative, Knauer was elected to the Philadelphia City Council in 1959.
Later, she was the head of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Consumer Protection.
She became Richard Nixon"s special assistant for consumer affairs in 1969. At the time, she was the highest-ranking woman in the administration. She also became the director of the United States. Office of Consumer Affairs, where she became an energetic supporter of consumers" rights.
In office, Knauer promoted recycling and nutritional labeling, unit pricing of groceries, and other consumer-friendly features.
She predicted that, because of domestic automakers" reluctance to install safety and environmental improvements, among other advances, foreign manufacturers would increase their share of the United States. auto market. She also headed the Office of Consumer Affairs under the Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan administrations.
Knauer married Wilhelm F. Knauer, a lawyer, in 1940. Wilhelm Knauer served as Pennsylvania Deputy Attorney General.
He died in 1976. Virginia Knauer died October 16, 2011, of congestive heart failure, in Washington, District of Columbia
Board directors Hannah Penn House, since 1956, vice president, 1971. Chairman Knauer Foundation History Preservation, 1963^. National chairman to promote no fault automobile insurance Project New Start, 1988-1991.
Board directors National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. Member city council, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1960-1968. Member National Trust History Preservation, American Association Retired Persons, International Neighbors Club, Executive Women in Government, Penn Women (trustees council), Consumers for World Trade (board directors), Zeta Tau Alpha, Kappa Delta Epsilon (honorary).
Married Wilhelm F. Knauer, January 27, 1940. Children: Wilhelm F., Valerie H. (Mistress I. Townsend Burden III).
