A trailblazer for women in politics, Hattie Barnes Adkisson was one of the first female mayors in Texas, second to Ophelia Geraldine “Birdie” Crosby Harwood, who was elected mayor of Marble Falls, Texas in 1917, three years prior to the ratification of the nineteenth amendment. Adkisson was elected mayor of Jewett in April 1920, along with five female town alderwomen, making them the first all-female government in the state. As mayor, Adkisson oversaw various improvements, such a mandating an occasional town cleanup day, confronting tax dodgers and collecting all unpaid taxes, as well as outlining new roads in town and enforcing city ordinances. Adkisson's devotion to civics caught the attention of Texas Governor Pat Morris Neff, who appointed her to a state board of civic affairs. During her time in office and after, Adkisson would travel around the state giving speeches about her successes as mayor and how women should play a more active role in politics. | Source: The Houston Post, May 15, 1920, pg. 7.Download Original File
Source
The Houston Post, May 15, 1920, pg. 7.
"Hattie Barnes Adkisson, Mayor of Jewett, Texas (1920-1922)" appears in: The Alderwomen of Jewett
