September 2008
 

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s the first African American woman to be elected to Congress from Ohio, Stephanie Tubbs-Jones dedicated most of her life her home state. Ms. Tubbs-Jones obtained her early education from the public schools of Cleveland, Ohio and later earned a Social Work degree and J. D degree from Case Western Reserve University. In 1981 Tubbs-Jones was elected as a judge of the Cleveland Municipal court. Following her tenure, she served on the Court of Common Peas of Cuyahoga County from 1983 to 1991. During this term, she also ran for and was selected as Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio. In 1998, Stephanie Tubbs-Jones won the Democratic nomination for the 11th District of Ohio in Congress, where she was re-elected four terms with little opposition. On December 19, 2006, Tubbs-Jones was named Chairwoman of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct for the 110th Congress. She was also a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. (Source: www.wikipedia.com)

On August 19, 2008, during her fifth term in the U. S. House of Representatives, Stephanie Tubbs-Jones suffered an aneurysm while driving and succumbed at the hospital the following morning. Ms. Tubbs-Jones was known for speaking out about what she believed. In 2003 she was the only Ohioan in Congress to vote against a resolution supporting U. S. troops in Iraq. This month, Chap’s Expressions honors and admires Stephanie Tubbs-Jones and women like her who is not afraid to speak out and make history happen! Her spirit, fervor, and dedication will truly be missed.