In 1961, gas was 27 cents, JFK was inaugurated, and the first man was put into space.  The Berlin Wall was being built, George Clooney was born and Elvis was crooning “Surrender.”  It was also the year that the future Senator Nancy Camp Jacobs moved to Bridgeport.  This might seem like an insignificant fact, were it not for the impact she has made during her career in politics.

 

After spending the last 20 years serving the citizens of Maryland, Jacobs retired last year.  Her mark on history is indicative of her dedication to improve the lives of families, largely influenced by some of the families right here in what she considers her hometown.

 

Looking back over her life in Bridgeport, Jacobs recalls simple, but meaningful snapshots of what life was like here in the 1960’s and 70’s.  The impact of our family-oriented town continued to influence her personal and political decisions for decades after she left the area.  “I drove a red 1965 Mustang Convertible and I remember going to the Ellis Drive-In, hiding people in the trunk to get the per-vehicle rate.  On summer weekends, I can remember going out to Kathy Strosnider’s log cabin and having slumber parties at her house,” Jacobs reminisced. 

 

The family’s love of sports became the backdrop for many memories once they moved to Bridgeport, including playing basketball at Ray Blake’s house and camping on Jimmy Ferguson’s property.  Her family was close friends with Jerry West and her mother actually wrote him his first fan letter when he was in high school being coached by her dad.  Former Governor Gaston Caperton III was also on that team.  Jacob’s brother Bob played basketball at WVU and held the record for the longest number of consecutive free throws spanning two seasons.  He was also the only player in WVU history to lead a team in scoring, assists and rebounds in the same season. 

 

It’s roughly 265 miles from Bridgeport to Annapolis, MD, where Jacobs spent much of her time during her years representing District 34.  Her journey, however, had a few detours prior to her career in politics.  As a student at WVU, Jacobs was assigned to cover a story on the West Virginia legislature that proved to be a discouraging  first experience on behind-the-scenes politics.  “I came out of there disillusioned about the corruption and was pretty sure I never wanted to be in politics.” 

 

It has been said that when one door closes, another one opens and Jacob’s path played out precisely that way, as she made a decision that would lead her from owning a tennis club to being a future Senator.  “When my youngest was five years old, I decided to homeschool her.  I went to Annapolis to lobby for a homeschooling bill and saw what a difference one person could make in the process.”  

 

From there, Jacobs became the State Representative for the largest women’s group in the country at that time, the Concerned Women for America. “Part of my responsibilities included lobbying on pro-family legislation.”  With her husband’s encouragement, Jacobs ran for the House of Delegates and won in 1994, finishing first in the race.  “During a hearing, a man from the State Fire and EMS Association introduced me to another Bridgeport High School alumnus, Pat Gainer.  Over the years, she kept me up on all the news back home and it was so nice seeing a familiar face.”

 

In 1998, Jacobs ran for Senate and served for 16 years, alongside two other West Virginia-born Senators.  “We called ourselves the West Virginia Caucus and proudly flaunted our WVU pride on the Senate floor.”  Of the 47 Senators in Maryland, Jacobs was the only Republican woman.  She made history when she was elected as the first Republican woman in Maryland history to be in the positions of Minority Whip and Minority Leader.  “I wish my parents would have still been around to see that day.  It was really an amazing experience.”

 

Among her many honors, Jacobs was inducted into the Circle of Excellence for being named among Maryland’s Top 100 Women three times.  She was also named Legislator of the Year and earned numerous awards for her dedication to children and veterans.  Jacobs served on countless committees and task forces to improve the lives of families in Maryland.  One of her proudest accomplishments was sponsoring Jessica’s Law, which required convicted first-degree child sex offenders to receive a minimum of 25 years in prison without the possibility of parole.  

 

After 20 years in politics, Jacobs decided to retire in 2014 to spend some quality time with her family.  Her husband recently received a clean bill of health after battling cancer for several years and the two of them enjoy a very active life style.  “For many years, my husband made so many sacrifices for my career and now it is time to focus on him.  We plan to travel, golf, play tennis and go somewhere warm,” said Jacobs, who now lives in Florida. 

 

Although defined largely by her impact politically, it has always been her family and her faith that inspired her, both personally and professionally.  “Being parents was always our most important role and the reason I got into politics in the first place.” That core value was planted right here in Bridgeport more than 50 years ago.  “I have so many fond memories of Bridgeport.  Although the first few years of my life were spent in Charleston, I will always consider Bridgeport my hometown.”