Women in Boston Politics, 1921-2004 Kristen A
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University of Massachusetts Boston ScholarWorks at UMass Boston Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy Center for Women in Politics & Public Policy Publications Spring 2005 “As Tough As It Gets”: Women in Boston Politics, 1921-2004 Kristen A. Petersen Carol Hardy-Fanta PhD University of Massachusetts Boston, [email protected] Karla Armenoff Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.umb.edu/cwppp_pubs Part of the American Politics Commons, Economic Policy Commons, Health Policy Commons, Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, Policy Design, Analysis, and Evaluation Commons, Public Policy Commons, Social Policy Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation Petersen, Kristen A.; Hardy-Fanta, Carol PhD; and Armenoff, Karla, "“As Tough As It Gets”: Women in Boston Politics, 1921-2004" (2005). Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy Publications. Paper 13. http://scholarworks.umb.edu/cwppp_pubs/13 This Research Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for Women in Politics & Public Policy at ScholarWorks at UMass Boston. It has been accepted for inclusion in Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy Publications by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at UMass Boston. For more information, please contact [email protected]. UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON Research Report Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy • McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies “As Tough As It Gets”: WOMEN IN BOSTON POLITICS, 1921-2004 SPRING 2005 Kristen A. Petersen Carol Hardy-Fanta Karla Armenoff About the Center for Women in Politics About the Authors and Public Policy Kristen A. Petersen is this year's Polly Logan Visiting Scholar. The author of Waltham Rediscovered: An Ethnic History of Waltham, Massachusetts, is Assistant Professor of history at Established in 1994, the Center is located at UMass Boston’s John W. Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Prior to that position, she was the execu- McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies. The Center’s mission is to tive director of the Bay State Historical League, an organization that serves Massachusetts his- promote women’s leadership in politics and public policy by providing quality torical societies and history museums. Petersen received her Ph.D. in the history of American education, conducting research that makes a difference in women’s lives, and civilization from Brown University, with a specialization in immigration and ethnic studies. Her serving as a resource for the empowerment of women from diverse communi- dissertation, “Trophies of Grace”: Religious Conversion and Americanization in Boston's ties in Massachusetts—and across New England. Immigrant Communities, 1890-1940, used church records and oral histories with descendants of immigrants to construct a new model of the role of immigrant churches in the development The Center runs a Graduate Certificate Program for Women in Politics and and evolution of ethnic communities. Public Policy—a one-year, full-time graduate program combining rigorous academics and practical skill building in politics and policy making within an environment supportive of women, and offers a range of educational forums Carol Hardy-Fanta is Director of the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy at on issues of concern to women, which are open to the public. UMass Boston’s John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies. She received her Ph.D. in Public Policy from Brandeis University's Heller School, an MSW from Smith College, and a The Center has a long track record of research that includes analysis of B.A. from Occidental College. Dr. Hardy-Fanta is author of two books: Latina Politics, Latino women’s political status in New England; the intersection of gender, race/eth- Politics: Gender, Culture, and Political Participation in Boston (Temple University Press, 1993) nicity, and political representation; and a wide range of public policy issues, and Latino Politics in Massachusetts: Struggles, Strategies and Prospects (Routledge Press, including women and workforce development, welfare reform, women in the 2002). She is also editor of Women in New England Politics: A Profile and Handbook for criminal justice system, and reproductive rights. We also maintain a library and Action. Hardy-Fanta is a nationally recognized scholar on Latina/o politics and has published information resource center, with extensive holdings that are available in an widely on the intersection of gender, race and ethnicity in politics and public policy. Her policy online searchable database. experience also includes welfare reform, substance abuse and criminal justice, community organization, reproductive rights, mental health, HIV/AIDS programs, and bilingual education. The lead author on this report, Kristen A. Petersen, was this year’s “Polly Logan Carol Hardy-Fanta also serves as Director of the Graduate Certificate Program for Women in Visiting Scholar.” Her research was made possible with support from the Polly Politics and Public Policy. Logan Endowment Fund, which was established at the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy by friends and colleagues of Polly Logan in recognition of her many years promoting women’s participation in politics. The Polly Logan Karla Armenoff is a student in the Public Policy Ph.D. Program at the University of Endowment Fund provides ongoing support for visiting scholars like Kristen A. Massachusetts Boston. In 1996, Armenoff began the research that is being released in this Petersen who report on innovative and timely research such as “As Tough As It report. She conducted many of the interviews, constructed the lists of women candidates Gets”: Women in Boston Politics, 1921–2004. The Center for Women in Politics through 1997, and carried out the preliminary data analysis. Her work in 1996–1998 formed and Public Policy would like to thank Polly Logan and the Polly Logan the foundation of the current report. Armenoff's research interests include affordable housing, Endowment Fund Board for their ongoing support. fair housing and community development. Having served as a community development corpo- ration director, legislative aide (to now-State Senator Jarrett Barrios and U.S. Congressman Luis Gutierrez), and tenant rights activist, she is currently working on her dissertation proposal and raising her young son. Karla Armenoff is a strong believer in the urgency of women's increased participation in electoral politics and grassroots activism to promote positive social change and to further equal opportunity. She now lives in Carmel, Indiana. For more information, please contact: Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies 100 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA 02125-3393 PH: 617.287.5541 • FAX: 617.287.5544 E-mail: [email protected] • www.mccormack.umb.edu/cwppp hether you’re a man or a woman, Boston city politics is Was tough as it gets anywhere; this is “Politics 101.” It is very aggressive; there are a lot of people who do not play by the rules. I say to people, you’re in the big leagues, and you can’t be meek and you can’t be afraid of a very aggressive business. —Peggy Davis-Mullen, 1997 Mildred Harris (top left): 1st woman elected to the Boston City Council, 1937 Catherine Craven (bottom left): 2nd woman elected to the Boston City Council, 1963, 1965 Willie Mae Allen (right): Candidate for the Boston City Council and Democratic Party Activist Table of Contents “As Tough As It Gets”: WOMEN IN BOSTON POLITICS, 1921-2004 Introduction 1 “Boston Politics”: The Historical Context of Women’s Political Activity 4 Women and the Boston City Council, 1920s–1950s: The “First” and “Only” 7 Women as “Neighborhood Protectors,” 1960s–1970s 10 Women and the City Council, 1980s–1990s: As Good As It Gets 14 Women’s Campaigns at the Turn of the 21st Century, 2001-2004 19 Looking Ahead: The 2005 Election Season 21 Women’s Municipal Representation in Boston: A National Comparison 22 “As Tough As It Gets”: Explaining Women’s Low Representation 24 Conclusion 39 Appendix A: List of Women Candidates for Boston City Council, 1921-2003 41 Appendix B: List of Individuals Interviewed 43 Appendix C: A Note on Data Sources and Research Methodology 44 Notes 45 References 53 List of Tables Table 1. Boston Women City Councilors, 1921–2003 2 Table 2. Women of Color City Council Candidates, 1973–2003 3 Table 3. Women City Councilors by District 32 List of Figures Figure 1. Women Candidates and Elected Councilors, 1921-1999 2 Figure 2. Boston City Council Campaigns, 1921-1999, by Sex 7 Figure 3. Women’s City Council Campaigns, 1921-1999, by Outcome 14 Figure 4. Boston Compared to Other State Capitals, Percent Women on Governing Bodies, 2004 22 Figure 5. Women City Council Candidates, 1971–2003, First-Time Compared to All Women Candidates 24 Figure 6. Women Candidates for State Legislature & City Council, 1921-1997 28 Introduction When Mildred M. Gleason Harris joined the legislation in front of voters several times prior to Boston City Council as a representative from Roxbury 1920 but was unsuccessful. In 1895, women lost a Center (Ward 9) in 1937, she broke a barrier for battle for the right to vote in Boston’s municipal women in municipal politics. Despite passage of suf- elections.4 Between 1911 and 1916, Massachusetts frage in 1920, and despite women’s participation in women narrowly failed at attempts to secure a suf- local politics for decades prior to that, the city’s ruling frage amendment to the state constitution. The body was an elusive goal. A variety of cultural and amendment was a major campaign issue in the 1916 structural impediments contributed to low numbers of gubernatorial race, with incumbent Catholic women running for and Governor David I. Walsh its winning elective office key proponent. Both Walsh throughout the 20th centu- and the amendment were ry.