Former high school history teacher Mary Boergers also served in the Maryland House of Representatives and in the Maryland Senate. (Photo credit: www.ourcampaigns.com)

I always enjoy sharing stories about dedicated classroom teachers who also make their mark in politics. One of these is Mary Boergers, a teacher from Maryland who served in her state’s House of Representatives and Senate.

Mary was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on Feb. 10, 1946. Her father worked for an insurance company, and her mother was a high school English teacher. Mary’s childhood was not an easy one. Her father was an alcoholic who spent time in an institution before he died when Mary was 15. After his death, her mother, moved the family to Minneapolis.

Once she graduated from high school, Mary enrolled at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1968. She earned her master’s degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, in 1970. After she earned her degrees, Mary accepted a position as a history and government teacher at Rockville High School in Montgomery County, Maryland. Her career as an educator spanned six years, from 1970 to 1976.

Mary inaugurated her career in politics when she became a lobbyist for the National Organization for Women (NOW). She also worked as a fund-raiser for Representative Michael D. Barnes. In 1981, the former teacher was appointed a delegate to the Maryland General Assembly representing the 17th and 18th Districts. There she served on the Ways and Means Committee, the House of Delegates, and the Economic Matters Committee. She also served as the president of Women Legislators of Maryland from 1990 to 1991. In 1990, Mary was elected to the Maryland State Senate on the Democratic ticket. She served in that post from 1991 to 1995. While serving in her various political roles, Mary was especially interested in policies that involved education, women’s rights, drug abuse, crime prevention, labor relations, and the environment.

To learn more about Mary Boergers, see this article about her published in The Washington Post.