A poem to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Edith Nourse Rogers on September 10, 1960. Rogers represented Lowell in Congress for 35 years. 

For Edith Nourse Rogers

By Suzanne Beebe

Memorial Day in 1950s Lowell — with
Color guards, and marching bands, and U.S
Military men and vehicles, and
Lowell firefighters and police, and
High school regiment of boys led
By their peers, and girl officers
In units all their own, resplendent in navy
Blue with bright buttons of gold, their pleated
Skirts fitted to tiny waists, their shirts
Ironed and long-sleeved, faux swords at rest
On prim shoulders, the whole parade streaming
Up festive crowded streets to City Hall.

But somewhere down the road a hush falls,
An open car approaches, she sits in front,
Near-regal, smiling, white-haired, waving as
Applause breaks out, the gathered crowd’s esteem
(no! reverence!) palpable as she
Rides by, then stops at the reviewing stand
To exit, climb the steps, field greetings from
The dignitaries, and remain to grace
The grand parade, the day, the living and
The dead with quiet presence manifest
Through years of public service exercised
With dogged persistence and generosity
Of care for others. (Not to be denied!)

She sought office when her husband died,
A common tale back then for women sent
To Congress by voters grateful for a husband’s
Service and convinced a wife would follow
Faithfully in purpose, style, and substance,
Taking on the mantle of a life
Lived within the public gaze, the push
And pull of public conflict and opinion,
With selfless goals and values always threatened
By self-interest, the lure of profit,
Self-aggrandizement and power — resisted, it seems
By her and her beloved John Rogers.

She followed in his footsteps, yes, but she
Was more than capable of forging her own
Path, as years of legislation would show.
Drawn early to the plight of shattered soldiers
Encountered in the field hospitals
Of the first world war, she made
The veteran’s welfare an abiding goal
For life, becoming mother to the GI
Bill of Rights and forging paths to homes,
Jobs, and schooling — above all, medical care —
For those who’d borne the brunt of battle
And paid the price in lives changed forever.

Angel of Walter Reed Hospital,
Exponent of the Women’s Army Corps,
Relentless force behind establishment of
Veterans’ hospitals, recipient of
Their Distinguished Service Cross, champion
Of Nazi Germany’s exiled Jewish children,
She led with her heart and followed through with drive,
Persistence, and know-how sprung from deep concern.
Loved by the people she served, she served for many
Years, returning time and again to be
What every public servant is called to be:
Courageous, caring, conscience-fueled, and free.

© 2018, 2026 Suzanne Beebe