Kansas flags have been directed by Governor Laura Kelly to be flown at half-staff from sunup to sundown on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in honor of former Congresswoman Martha Keys. The directive is in accordance with Executive Order #20-30.
“As the second woman to represent Kansas in the United States Congress, Martha Keys was a trailblazer,” Governor Laura Kelly said in a statement. “Her work has left a lasting impact on our state and our nation. My condolences go out to her loved ones.”
Martha Keys was born in Hutchinson and graduated from Paseo High School in Kansas City, MO. She was elected a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1975 and served two terms. She later served as a Special Adviser to the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare from February 1979 to May 1980 and as an Assistant Secretary of Education from June 1980 to January 1981. In 1982, Keys was elected to the Common Cause National Governing Board, then from 1985 to 1986 worked as Center for a New Democracy Consultant/Directive.
Keys died in Locust Grove, Va., on Dec. 19, 2024, at 94-years-old.
