Clara Munson (1861-1938):
In 1913 Clara Munson was elected mayor of Warrenton, Oregon. The first woman in the state to win this office.She had been brought up in a family (housed in a lighthouse in Oysterville, Washington) where political questions regularly were discussed. She worked as a school teacher, school clerk, and assistant postmistress before agreeing to run as a mayoralty candidate in the small town of Warrenton. She defeated a male opponent thirty-eight to twenty-two. Munson said, ironically, that she was “not very much in favor of woman suffrage,” but since women had won suffrage in Oregon the previous year, they must act responsibly and “take an active interest in political affairs and show they are able to make good use of a ballot.” (“Clara Munson” at http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/historical_records/dspDocument.cfm?doc_ID=AC6BFC45-BB1F-ED53-205C7F7922292752)
As mayor she eliminated the positions of city attorney and chief of police and used the money for improvements, in particular the repair and construction of sidewalks to improve the quality of life and economy in Warrenton. At the end of her term she became director of the Warrenton school district, remaining in this position for thirty-five years.
Party Affiliation:
Citizens
Photograph:
Oregon Historical Society
http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/historical_records/dspDocument.cfm?doc_ID=AC6BFC45-BB1F-ED53-205C7F7922292752
Resources:
“Another Woman Elected Mayor,” Woman’s Journal, December 13, 1913, p. 400.
“Clara Cynthia Munson,” Oregon History Project http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/historical_records/dspDocument.cfm?doc_ID=AC6BFC45-BB1F-ED53-205C7F7922292752