Winifred C. Stanley

Winifred Claire Stanley (August 14, 1909 Manhattan, New York City – February 29, 1996 Kenmore, Erie County, New York) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.

Stanley was born in Manhattan, but the family relocated to Buffalo when she was a child. She graduated from Lafayette High School, then earned a B.A. in 1930, an LL.B., and J.D. in 1933 from the University at Buffalo. In 1938, she became the first woman to serve as an Assistant District Attorney of Erie County, a position she held until 1942.

In 1942, Stanley was elected at-large as a Republican to the 78th United States Congress, holding office from January 3, 1943, to January 3, 1945. Stanley served one term in Congress and was an advocate for equal rights for women. Stanley was the first Representative to propose that employers be required to pay women equal pay for equal work when she introduced HR 5056. This principle was later enacted in the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

In 1945, she was appointed counsel to the New York State Employees' Retirement System, holding that position until 1955. She was Assistant New York Attorney General from 1955 to 1979.

Stanley died on February 29, 1996 in Kenmore, New York and was buried at the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Tonawanda, New York.

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