Helen Bentley describes in fine detail the struggles she overcame to
achieve prominence as a journalist and public servant. She discusses the
influence of her mother, who ran a boarding house in small Nevada
mining towns, and her determination to strive for excellence and achieve
success in fields where women were rarely seen. Her narrative takes us
through her experiences as a journalist and she tells the story of her
tenacious battle to secure appointment to the post of Chairman of the
Federal Maritime Commission. Mrs. Bentley discusses in detail her work
with Barbara Franklin and her relationships with women journalists and
women in the Congress. Her reflections on the problems women faced,
sometimes of their own making, is revealing; her attitudes towards her
work and the pride in breaking barriers and opening the door for other
women is evident. Her own election to Congress is another reflection of
the qualities she regarded as essential to the success of women in
government generally.
Former U.S. Representative from Maryland (1985-95), Helen Delich Bentley
entered government service in the Nixon administration as Chairman of
the Federal Maritime Commission. Helen Bentley grew up in the Nevada
mining town of Ruth and attended the University of Missouri School of
Journalism. Graduating in 1944, she took a position with the United
Press, eventually landing in Baltimore as Maritime Editor for the
Baltimore Sun. In this position she covered all forms of transportation
and its labor relations activities. During this time she also produced
local television news programs in Baltimore and Philadelphia dealing
with trade and the two ports. In these she did profiles on more than 800
companies in the trade and shipping businesses. After writing some
pieces for the Nixon Campaign she was recruited to be Chairman of the
Federal Maritime Commission. She left office in 1975 to become a
business consultant and, in 1984 was elected to Congress representing
Baltimore and Harford counties, Maryland. She was re-elected four more
times and, after 1995, returned to her international trade and business
consulting practice.