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Jane L. Harman first won election to the House of Representatives in 1992, the breakthrough “Year of the Woman,” and became a leading figure in Congress on ... United States House of Representatives: History, Art, & ArchivesMap Blog Multimedia About Search the website InstitutionPeopleExhibitions & PublicationsCollectionsOral HistoryEducationRecords & Research Home > People > People Search Vote to feature this on the home page Cite Print Share Collection of the U.S. House of Representatives 103rd (1993–1995), 104th (1995–1997), 105th (1997–1999), 107th (2001–2003), 108th (2003–2005), 109th (2005–2007), 110th (2007–2009), 111th (2009–2011), 112th (2011–2013) Jane L. Harman first won election to the House of Representatives in 1992, the breakthrough “Year of the Woman,” and became a leading figure in Congress on security issues as a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. In 2001, after leaving Congress for a term to run, unsuccessfully, for California governor, Harman reclaimed her former seat. “The quality of life in Congress stinks,” Harman said during her re-election bid in 2000. “On the other side of the ledger is the future of public policy in this country. And I’m a policy addict.”1 During her second period of service in the House, she served on the intelligence panel and on the newly created Committee on Homeland Security. Jane Harman was born Jane Margaret Lakes in New York City on June 28, 1945, to Adolph N. and Lucille (Geier) Lakes. Raised in Los Angeles, she graduated from University High School in 1962. After earning a BA in government from Smith College in 1966, she received her law degree from Harvard three years later.2 She worked for two years at a Washington, DC, law firm before joining the staff of California U.S. Senator John Varick Tunney in 1972. In 1975 she became chief counsel and staff director of the Constitutional Rights Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee. She served as deputy secretary to the Cabinet of President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1978 and then became a special counsel to the Department of Defense. She married Richard Frank in 1969, and they had two children: Brian and Hilary. They divorced in 1978, and two years later, she married Sidney Harman, the founder of an audio and electronics company.3 Through the 1980s, Harman worked as a corporate lawyer and as a director of her husband’s company. The Harmans have two children: Daniel and Justine. Sidney Harman died in April 2011.4
Jane Margaret Lakes Harman (born June 28, 1945) is the former U.S. Representative for California's 36th congressional district, serving from 1993 to 1999, ... From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia President of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars February 28, 2011 – February 28, 2021 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 36th district January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1999 Preceded by Mel Levine (redistricting) Succeeded by Steven T. Kuykendall January 3, 2001 – February 28, 2011 Preceded by Steven T. Kuykendall Jane Margaret Lakes Harman (born June 28, 1945) is the former U.S. Representative for California's 36th congressional district, serving from 1993 to 1999, and from 2001 to 2011; she is a member of the Democratic Party. Harman was the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee (2002–2006), and chaired the Homeland Security Committee's Intelligence Subcommittee (2007–2011). Resigning from Congress in February 2011, Harman became President and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.[1] She succeeded former Congressman Lee Hamilton and was the first woman to lead the organization. She stepped down in February 2021 after a decade, and is a Distinguished Scholar and President Emerita. Harman was born Jane Margaret Lakes in New York City, the daughter of Lucille (née Geier) and Adolf N. Lakes.[2] Her father was born in Poland and escaped from Nazi Germany in 1935;[3] he worked as a medical doctor. Her mother was born in the United States and was the first one in her family to receive college education. Her maternal grandparents immigrated from Russia.[4] Harman's family moved to Los Angeles, California when she was 4 and there she attended Los Angeles public schools, graduating from University High School in 1962.[5] She received a bachelor's degree in government, magna cum laude, from Smith College in 1966 and served as president of the Smith College Young Democrats.[6] Harman continued her studies at Harvard Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctor degree in 1969.[7]
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