Susanna M. Salter

Susanna "Dora" Madora Salter (March 2, 1860-1961), U.S. politician, She served as mayor of Argonia, Kansas, becoming the first woman elected as mayor in the United States.

First Woman Mayor in the United States

As a joke intended to embarass the local WCTU, several local-area men nominated Salter, then only 27 years old, for mayor in 1887, just weeks after Kansas approved women's suffrage in local elections. Their plan backfired when the local Republican Party organization tipped her off about the plan. With their support, she agreed to serve if elected. On April 4, 1887, with the combined support of the Republican Party and the WCTU, she was elected with a two-thirds majority. Instead of embarrassing the local WCTU, the men helped elect the first woman mayor in the United States. Although her term was uneventful, her election generated worldwide interest from the press, sparking a debate regarding the feasabilty of other towns following Argonia's lead, which ranged from objections to a "petticoat rule" to a "wait-and-see" attitude. After only a year in office, she declined to seek reelection. The house she lived in during her tenure as mayor was added to the National Register of Historic Places in September, 1971.

Related Topics:
1887 - Republican Party - April 4 - National Register of Historic Places - 1971

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~