Beth Dail Finch (1921 – December 27, 2012) was an American

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

and

businessperson A businessperson, businessman, or businesswoman is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial or industrial) for the ...

. Finch served as the first female

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Fayetteville, North Carolina Fayetteville () is a city in and the county seat of Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a major U.S. Army installation northwest of the city. Fayetteville has received the All-America C ...

, from 1975 to 1981. She is the only woman to hold that office as of 2021. Finch was born Beth Dail as the only child of Joseph and Eulah Dail in

Dunn, North Carolina Dunn is the largest city of Harnett County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,263 at the 2010 census, and an estimated 9,718 in 2018. It is the anchor city of the Dunn Micropolitan Area, population 114,678 (2010 census), which ...

, in 1921. She graduated from an academy in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

and received a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

. She worked for the '' Dunn Dispatch'' and ''

The Fayetteville Observer ''The Fayetteville Observer'' is an American English-language daily newspaper published in Fayetteville, North Carolina. As the oldest North Carolina newspaper, the paper was founded in 1816 as the ''Carolina Observer''. It was locally owned by ...

'' after college. She married her husband, Tom Finch, in 1944 and moved to Fayetteville. Her husband founded Finch Oil in 1955. Beth Finch, a Democrat throughout her life, entered politics in the 1960s. She served on the successful 1960 gubernatorial campaign of

Terry Sanford James Terry Sanford (August 20, 1917April 18, 1998) was an American lawyer and politician from North Carolina. A member of the Democratic Party, Sanford served as the 65th Governor of North Carolina from 1961 to 1965, was a two-time U.S. pre ...

, a longtime friend. He was elected

Governor of North Carolina The governor of North Carolina is the head of government of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The governor directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander in chief of the military forces of the state. The current governor, ...

that year. Finch lost her first election campaign for the Fayetteville

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

in 1969. However, she won election to the city council in 1971 and was re-elected to her seat in 1973. She was also elected mayor ''pro tem'' during her second term on the council. Fayetteville's two-term Mayor Jack Lee retired from office in 1975. He suggested that Finch run to succeed him. Beth Finch won the 1975 mayoral election, becoming the city's first female mayor. As mayor, Finch replaced the city's aging public buses and outdated garbage collection methods. She became the first female president of the North Carolina League of Municipalities in 1980. Finch stepped down from office in 1981 to return to her family's business. She was succeeded by Mayor

Bill Hurley Bill Hurley (born June 15, 1957) is a former American football player. Hurley attended Syracuse University, where he was the starting quarterback on the Syracuse Orange football team. Hurley was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth rou ...

, a former colleague from city council. Beth Finch died on December 27, 2012, at the age of 91. Her husband, Tom Finch, died in 2004.

References

1921 births 2012 deaths Mayors of Fayetteville, North Carolina North Carolina city council members Women mayors of places in North Carolina North Carolina Democrats University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni People from Dunn, North Carolina American women journalists Women city councillors in North Carolina 21st-century American women {{NorthCarolina-mayor-stub