Nancy Landon Kassebaum Baker, who fractured a political glass ceiling as the first woman to represent Kansas in the U.S. Senate, died Friday.
Kassebaum, 94, grew up in Topeka and began her personal journey in politics as a member of the Maize school board. In 1978, she defeated eight Republicans to seize the nomination for U.S. Senate in a contest to determine who took the seat held by retiring Republican U.S. Sen. James Pearson. She prevailed in that general election with 53% of the vote but easily won reelection contests in 1984 and 1990 with more than 70% of the vote.
The Kassebaum family confirmed her death in a statement reported by KSNT that noted her remarkable life and appreciation for Kansas.
“For 94 years she relished the support of family and friends from all over the world. Her years were filled with remarkable successes, challenges and above all a deep love for Kansas,” the statement said.
The family intends to conduct a private memorial service at an unspecified date. Memorial donations are to be directed to the Capper Foundation and the Kansas 4-H Foundation, the statement said.
Kassebaum, the widow of retired U.S. Sen. Howard Baker of Tennessee and the daughter of 1936 presidential nominee and Gov. Alf Landon, had the distinction of being the second woman elected to the U.S. Senate without her spouse having previously served as a member of Congress.
Kassebaum was known for her political independence, moderate sensibilities and advocacy of bipartisanship on domestic and international affairs during her 18 years in Washington, D.C.
She supported the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion rights, a ban on assault weapons and the end of apartheid in South Africa. She was among Senate champions of creating a federal holiday to honor the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. After leaving elective politics, she voiced objections to GOP President Donald Trump and endorsed Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
In 2022, she said during a program at the Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas that it would have been impossible for her to win elective office in the modern era.
“I know full well I could not be reelected today,” she said. “It’s not that I’ve changed so much.”
In the Landon home, her father had been skeptical of her underdog campaign to win a cherished seat in the U.S. Senate. He understood defeat after getting crushed by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1936.
“I talked to the family about it, who all sort of rolled their eyes. My father did not want me to run. I think he thought I would lose,” Kassebaum said.
She decided to run and took note of her father’s reputation among Kansans with the campaign slogan: “A Fresh Face: A Trusted Kansas Name.”
Kassebaum said U.S. Sen. Robert Dole of Kansas, who died in 2021, assisted her campaign by convincing Republicans that she would be a capable senator for Kansas. In 2015, Dole told the Wichita Eagle that Kassebaum had been one of the most popular politicians in the state.
“Nancy has a way about her that she gets along with everyone. She has never tried to be a moderate or a conservative,” Dole said.
Kassebaum was born July 29, 1932, and grew up in Topeka. She earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Kansas and a master’s degree in diplomatic history at the University of Michigan.
She married her first husband, John Philip Kassebaum, and they had four children — John, Linda, Richard and William. The Kassebaum’s divorced in 1979.
After deciding not to seek a fourth term but still a member of the U.S. Senate, she married Baker in 1996. The Rev. John Danforth, the former senator from Missouri, performed the ceremony. President George W. Bush appointed Baker to serve as ambassador to Japan. Baker and Kassebaum lived in Japan for four years. Baker died in 2014. She resided on a ranch in Morris County.
This story was originally published in the Kansas Reflector.
