# Koryne Kaneski Horbal _Koryne Kaneski Horbal (1937–2017), chairwoman of Minnesota's Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, a founder of its feminist caucus and the United States representative on the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women from 1977 to 1981 — her party offices, her federal appointment and what the record does and does not establish about her role_ | Koryne Kaneski Horbal | | |---|---| | Born | February 11, 1937, Minneapolis (presidential announcement); née Koryne Emily Kaneski | | Died | May 15, 2017 | | Party offices | DFL state chairwoman or co-chairwoman (nine years, by obituary accounts); Democratic National Committeewoman; chair of the DNC Women's Caucus | | Federal appointments | member, National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year (1977); U.S. Representative on the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women (1977–1981) | | Caucus | a founder of the DFL Feminist Caucus (April 1973) | | Elected public office | none | | Papers | Minnesota Historical Society, 1962–2009 | | Parent articles | [[DFL Feminists]] · [[At Issue - Minnesota's Feminist Regime]] · [[How Minnesota Got Here]] | **Koryne Kaneski Horbal** (1937–2017) was a Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party official and feminist organizer. The Minnesota Historical Society describes her as "one of the founding members of the DFL Feminist Caucus," the "United States representative on the Commission on the Status of Women of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations," and "former chairwoman of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party."[^1] A 2017 profile notes that "Horbal, who never held elected office, was a political activist who fought for women's rights for more than 60 years."[^2] This article is a child of [[DFL Feminists]], which treats the DFL's feminist officials and the instruments they wrote, and of [[At Issue - Minnesota's Feminist Regime]], the instrument ledger of the [[How Minnesota Got Here]] series. Horbal's record in the series is one of party office, caucus organizing and a federal appointment; no Minnesota statute bears her name as author, she held no elected office, and no state office is recorded in the sources read.[^2][^1] ## Party office The record agrees that Horbal led the state party but differs on when and in what form. A 2017 Pioneer Press obituary reprinted by the *Brainerd Dispatch* calls her "the first woman to chair the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party" and states that "In 1963, she became the first woman to lead the DFL party, albeit with a male co-chair"; it refers to "her nine-year turn at the head of the DFL".[^3] Another 2017 profile says she "served for nine years as DFL State Co-chairwoman," and an associate recalled meeting her "when she was the co-chair of the DFL party", explaining that the party then had both a chairman and a chairwoman.[^2] MPR News described her as "the first woman elected to a top leadership position in the Minnesota DFL party."[^4] The state's historical encyclopedia identifies her as "State Chair" in 1971.[^5] The DFL State Central Committee's records hold a newsletter, *The Party Line*, described as "From Betty Kane, State Chairwoman", for April 1964 to July 1968, years inside the term the obituary dates from 1963.[^6] As state chairwoman she led the party commission whose 1971 report, "Women in the DFL: Present but Powerless", the encyclopedia credits to Yvette Oldendorf and Esther Wattenberg as authors.[^5] A 2006 *Congressional Record* tribute quotes her as saying there was one woman in the Minnesota Legislature when she began in politics and seventeen when she stepped down.[^7] Minnesota NOW's history of the Legislature's membership likewise records a single woman legislator about twenty years after 1951, and six women joining the Legislature in 1973.[^8] **National party.** The White House's 1977 announcement of her U.N. appointment lists her as "a member of the Democratic National Committee, the DNC Charter Commission, and the National Organization of Women", and states that "She served on the Carter-Mondale National Steering Committee in 1976."[^9] President Carter's appointment of the National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year that year identified her as "chair, Women's Caucus, Democratic National Committee; Democratic National Committeewoman."[^10] The *Congressional Record* tribute describes her as a DNC member "where she started the DNC's Women's Caucus."[^7] Arvonne Fraser's papers list "Koryne Horbal, member of the Women's Caucus of the Democratic National Committee" among the frequent correspondents in their Women's Equity Action League files.[^11] ## The feminist caucus In April 1973 Horbal and other women formed the DFL Feminist Caucus; the encyclopedia's current text counts five co-founders besides her, its 2018 text six, and a 2017 obituary four.[^5][^12][^3] A co-founder, Mary Pattock, recalled that the founders "elected Koryne as our chair."[^2] The caucus's own archive has a tenth-anniversary file of about 1983 whose material on its "founding mothers" lists Horbal first among six.[^13] In 1974 Horbal delivered the caucus's first "Feminist State of the State" address.[^5] Her papers include the 1971 report's executive summary, files on the Equal Rights Amendment and abortion, a 1973 name list of the National Women's Political Caucus and a folder on the caucus dated 1986.[^1] The caucus's history is set out in [[Feminist Caucus of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]]. ## At the United Nations On June 27, 1977, President Carter announced Horbal's appointment "as the Representative of the United States on the Commission on the Status of Women of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations."[^9] On September 4, 1981, President Reagan announced his intention to appoint Nancy Clark Reynolds, who "would succeed Koryne Kaneski Horbal."[^14] The *Congressional Record* tribute states that "She served in the U.N. ambassadorial role for 4 years during the Carter Administration", and that she was "partly responsible for the only treaty about women," the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.[^7] The Pioneer Press obituary states that "Horbal stepped down from the U.N. when Ronald Reagan took office".[^3] Her papers include "reports regarding her work as a United States representative to the United Nations" and a folder on the 1977 International Women's Year commission.[^1] The obituary and the *Record* tribute both use the title of ambassador; the presidential announcements use "Representative."[^3][^7][^9] ## Later public roles Her papers record that she "was executive director of the Wonder Woman Foundation" in New York and include files on the Women's Environment & Development Organization from 1991 to 1994.[^1] In 2005 she was a coordinator of a DFL party-building project.[^1] In June 2008 MPR News reported that, for the November 2008 election, she had "said that she will write in Sen. Clinton's name instead of voting for Obama".[^15] Augsburg College established a lecture series in her name in 2004.[^3] She died on May 15, 2017, at 80.[^4] ## Record and readings **Reading one.** On the reading set out in [[DFL Feminists]], Horbal is the organizer at the head of the network: as party chairwoman she commissioned the 1971 report that called for women's caucuses, she founded and chaired the caucus whose endorsement rule screened DFL candidates, and she carried the same program into the national party and the United Nations.[^5][^2][^7] **Reading two.** On the other reading, her influence was through persuasion and party office, not law: she held no elected office, the instruments of the period were written and signed by legislators and governors of both parties, and the encyclopedia records the caucus losing fights inside her own party.[^2][^16][^5] Neither reading is supported by a claim that she authored a Minnesota statute or held a state office.[^2][^1] ## Open items 1. **Dates as chair.** The 1963 start and nine-year term in the obituaries, and the encyclopedia's "State Chair" in 1971, were not matched to party records; the party's records list Betty Kane as state chairwoman in a newsletter of 1964 to 1968.[^3][^5][^6] 2. **Chairwoman or co-chairwoman.** The sources use both titles for the same office.[^2][^7] 3. **Founder count.** The caucus's founders number five, six or seven in different accounts.[^5][^12][^3] 4. **Her U.N. reports.** The reports in her papers were not read.[^1] ## See also - [[DFL Feminists]] — parent article - [[Feminist Caucus of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party]] · [[Minnesota Women's Political Caucus]] · [[Arvonne Fraser]] - [[At Issue - Minnesota's Feminist Regime]] · [[How Minnesota Got Here]] ## Notes [^1]: Minnesota Historical Society, "Koryne Horbal papers" (finding aid 01243; records 1962–2009) — abstract describing her as a founding member of the DFL Feminist Caucus, U.S. representative on the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women and former DFL chairwoman; folder list. https://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/01243.xml [^2]: Gail Olson, "Koryne Horbal: A life of activism", Northeaster (June 12, 2017) — Carter's 1977 U.N. appointment; "She served for nine years as DFL State Co-chairwoman"; co-founded the caucus in 1973; never held elected office; died May 15, 2017. https://www.mynortheaster.com/news/koryne-horbal-a-life-of-activism/ [^3]: Brainerd Dispatch, "Feminist pioneer Horbal dead at 80" (May 2017) — "Horbal and four other women founded the DFL Feminist Caucus in 1973"; her party and U.N. roles. https://www.brainerddispatch.com/news/feminist-pioneer-horbal-dead-at-80 [^4]: Cathy Wurzer, "Parting thoughts: A true pioneer for women in politics", MPR News (May 24, 2017) — Horbal as the first woman elected to a top DFL leadership post, founder of the DFL Feminist Caucus and Carter's U.N. appointee; died May 15, 2017, at 80. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2017/05/24/parting-thoughts-a-true-pioneer [^5]: Cory Haala, "DFL Feminist Caucus," MNopedia (Minnesota Historical Society; first published Apr. 23, 2018, modified Apr. 22, 2025) — the 1971 report; April 1973 founding; principles and endorsement rule; members; lobbying; conflicts within the DFL; 1980s candidacies. https://www.mnhs.org/mnopedia/search/index/group/dfl-feminist-caucus [^6]: Minnesota Historical Society, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party: An Inventory of Its State Central Committee Records (finding aid 00586; 1943–1998) — satellite-organization files, including Women's Political Caucus records of 1971–1976 and a DFL Women's Federation folder on the Feminist Caucus, 1970–1974; a women's-rights subject file; and a newsletter of State Chairwoman Betty Kane, 1964–1968. http://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00586.html [^7]: Congressional Record, vol. 152, Extensions of Remarks, p. E426 (Mar. 28, 2006) — tribute to Koryne Horbal: DFL state chairwoman, caucus founder, "Present but Powerless", four years as U.S. representative to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women. https://www.govinfo.gov/link/crec/152/E/426 [^8]: Minnesota NOW, Fast Start Stalls for 50 Years (updated April 10, 2021) — a history of the number of women in the Minnesota Legislature since 1922, placing the organizing of the nonpartisan Women's Political Caucus in 1971 and recording six women joining the Legislature in 1973. https://mnnow.org/fast-start-stalls-for-50-years/ [^9]: The American Presidency Project, "U.N. Commission on the Status of Women Appointment of Koryne Horbal as U.S. Representative" (June 1977) — the appointment; born February 11, 1937, in Minneapolis; party and organizational positions. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/244044 [^10]: The American Presidency Project, "National Commission on the Observance of International Women's Year, 1975 Appointment of Members and Presiding Officer of the Commission" (March 1977) — members, including Horbal as chair of the DNC Women's Caucus and Democratic National Committeewoman. https://presidency.ucsb.edu/node/243434 [^11]: Minnesota Historical Society, "Arvonne S. Fraser papers" (finding aid 00034; 1921–2015, bulk 1970–1999, 85 boxes) — biographical chronology of her DFL, WEAL, White House, USAID, U.N. and Humphrey Institute positions, her 1986 candidacy and her death in 2018; scope note on women's organizations and policy. https://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00034.xml [^12]: MinnPost (MNopedia partnership), "The formation of the DFL Party Feminist Caucus" (March 2024) — the 2018 MNopedia text naming six co-founders besides Horbal, frustration with both the DFL Women's Caucus and the MWPC, and "As of 2018, it remains an active organization." https://www.minnpost.com/mnopedia/2024/03/the-formation-of-the-dfl-party-feminist-caucus/ [^13]: Minnesota Historical Society, *DFL Feminist Caucus: An Inventory of Its Records* (records 1972–2004) — abstract and scope: a caucus formed in 1973 "to broaden women's representation in the party structure"; legislative activity on the ERA, abortion, veterans hiring preference and other issues; correspondence with the governor. https://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00173.xml [^14]: The American Presidency Project, "Appointment of Nancy Clark Reynolds as United States Representative on the Commission on the Status of Women" (Sept. 4, 1981) — "She would succeed Koryne Kaneski Horbal." https://presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/appointment-nancy-clark-reynolds-united-states-representative-the-commission-the-status [^15]: MPR News, "Founder of DFL Feminist Caucus will stick with Clinton" (June 3, 2008) — "Koryne Horbal is the founder of the DFL Feminist Caucus in Minnesota"; her stated support in the 2008 Democratic presidential contest. https://www.mprnews.org/story/2008/06/03/horbal [^16]: Legislative Office on the Economic Status of Women, *Pay Equity: The Minnesota Experience*, 6th ed. (Dec. 2015; posted Feb. 2016) — the 1981 task force; the 1982 act's chief authors Berglin and Simoneau; bipartisan support; the 1984 local act, penalties and the 2003 reporting moratorium. https://mn.gov/mmb-stat/pay-equity/Pay_Equity-The%20Minnesota%20Experience.pdf