Engaging and opinionated, charming and forceful, Norma Paulus was widely covered in statewide and national newspapers and television during her eventful, sometimes controversial political career. She ran successfully for the Oregon House of Representatives in 1970. After three terms in the House, where she championed environmental causes, women’s rights, and government transparency, she was elected Oregon’s Secretary of State in 1976—the first woman to be elected to a statewide office in Oregon. She was the Republican candidate for governor in 1986, served a stint on the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, went on to become Oregon’s superintendent of public instruction, and headed the Oregon Historical Society. The Only Woman in the Room documents her life and work in a lively, anecdotal history that will appeal to historians, political scientists, newshounds, and ordinary citizens alike.

Contributions by: Gail Wells, Pat McCord Amacher