Sonja Egenes
{{Short description|American politician (1930–1984)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =
| caption =
| office1 = Member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 43rd district
| term_start1 = January 8, 1973
| term_end1 = January 9, 1983
| predecessor1 = Richard M. Radl
| successor1 = David Osterberg
| office2 = Member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 33rd district
| term_start2 = January 11, 1971
| term_end2 = January 7, 1973
| predecessor2 = Alfred Nielsen
| successor2 = Henry C. Wulff
| birth_name = Sonja Lillian Carlsen
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1930|10|19}}
| birth_place = Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1984|11|27|1930|10|19}}
| death_place = Iowa City, Iowa, U.S.
| party = Republican
| occupation = Politician, teacher
| resting_place = Story City Cemetery, Story City, Iowa, U.S.
}}
Sonja Lillian Egenes (née Carlsen; October 19, 1930 – November 27, 1984) was an American politician who served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1971 to 1983.{{cite web|date=December 1, 1984|title=Sonja Carlsen Egenes|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/127898770/|url-access=subscription|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Des Moines Register|page=16|type=obituary|accessdate=2019-05-24}} She also was a member of the Luther College Board of Regents.{{Cite web|date=1985|title=State Representative|url=https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/legislator?ga=66&personID=974|access-date=2022-02-21|website=www.legis.iowa.gov|publisher=House Journal Memorial Resolution}}
Biography
She attended St. Olaf College and the University of Iowa; before graduating from Iowa State University (B.S. degree, 1951).{{Cite book|last=|first=|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PsFgAAAAIAAJ|title=Journal of the House of the General Assembly of the State of Iowa|date=1985|publisher=Iowa General Assembly|others=Iowa General Assembly House of Representatives|language=en}} Egenes was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to Norway.{{Cite news|last=Clines|first=Francis X.|date=1979-12-08|title=Focusing on Iranian Crisis From Iowa|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/12/08/archives/focusing-on-iranian-crisis-from-iowa-something-was-missing.html|access-date=2022-02-21|issn=0362-4331}} For 5 years, she worked as a teacher at Randall High School in Randall, Iowa; followed by serving as a teacher of American government at Iowa State University in Ames, from 1960 to 1961.
In 1962, her political career began as a Congressional candidate, she was a member of the Republican Party. She served as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives in the 33rd district from 1971 until 1973; and in the Iowa 43rd district from 1973 until 1983. In 1979, Egenes proposed the state of Iowa to cut off student aid to Iranians on the 34 campuses in the state, which would expel them during the Iranian Revolution.
She died on November 27, 1984, in Iowa City, Iowa at age 54.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/128057139/ |title=The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa on November 29, 1984 · Page 25 |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=1984-11-29 |accessdate=2019-05-24}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Egenes, Sonja}}
Category:Politicians from Saint Paul, Minnesota
Category:Women state legislators in Iowa
Category:Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives
Category:20th-century American women politicians
Category:Iowa State University alumni