Marian B. Towne, daughter of a store owner in Phoenix, Ore., became in 1917 the first woman to serve in a legislative session of the Oregon House of Representatives. As an assistant county clerk in Medford, she had read and filed new laws passed by the legislature that she considered legally defective.
Believing she "might do better," she received guidance and support from Medford Mayor W.H. Canon and submitted her candidacy as a Democrat from Jackson County. It was the first legislative election after women had attained the right to vote. Her successful campaign included speaking at social gatherings and canvassing house to house to meet "the women who keep the houses and sometimes the men." Recounting her time in Salem, Towne said, “A few of the men ... didn't mind the idea of a woman colleague — but more of them did."
She recalled that Speaker of the House Ben Selling arranged for her to receive fresh flowers each day during the session. Towne commented that she was not sure "whether he did this out of kindness, or to indicate that all a woman legislator was good for, in his opinion, was to tend flowers and look beautiful."
Today’s episode of As It Was was written by Kirsten Shockey, the program producer is Raymond Scully. I’m Shirley Patton. As It Was is a co-production of JPR and the Southern Oregon Historical Society. To share stories or learn more about the series, visit asitwas – dot.org.
Sources: Jensen, Kimberly, “Revolutions in the Machinery.” Oregon Historical Quarterly 110.3 2009, viewed on May 20, 2010 on the Internet at http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ohq/110.3/jensen.html