Julia Butler Hansen was born in Portland, Oregon in 1907 and graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in home economics in 1930. Her father was Sheriff of Wahkiakum County and her mother was Washington's ``Mother of the Year" in 1960. Her husband, Henry Hansen, was a logger in Washington; they were parents of one son, David. Hansen served as a member of the Cathlamet City Council, 1938-1946 and the Washington State Legislature, 1939-1960. Hansen was a prominent figure in the state Democratic party and her status was enhanced when she became the first woman Speaker Pro Tem from 1955-1960. During her tenure in the legislature, Hansen held several important committee positions, including Chair of the Interstate Committee on Highway Policies 1951-1960 and member of education, state government and public utilities committees. She was four times the chair of a Joint Fact Finding Committee on Highways, Streets and Bridges and the chair of the Western Interstate Committee on Highway policy Problems for eleven Western States. Hansen was also the chair and a member of the board of trustees of Century 21 beginning in 1958.

In 1960, Hansen was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to fill an unexpired term in the 86th Congress caused by the death of Rep. Russell V. Mack. She became the first woman chair of the House Appropriations Committee after serving for years on Education, Labor, Veteran's Affairs, Interior and Insular Affairs Committees. Hansen also managed the Wahkiakum County Abstract Company and the G. Henry Hanigan Insurance Co. in Cathlamet, and was a member of numerous state organizations and honorary societies. She was the author of a book for children Singing Paddles, a prize winning Northwest historical juvenile fiction work, published by Binfords and Mort. James Carty practiced law at Woodland, Wash., and was long active in the Democratic Party. He was treasurer and general assistant in Hansen's election campaign committee during her entire term of congressional service.