Catherine Rose Biggs Dobbs (1908–1974) was the first woman mayor of a major industrial city,

Barberton, Ohio Barberton is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 26,550 at the 2010 census. Lying directly southwest of Akron, it is a suburb of the Akron metropolitan area. History Barberton was founded in 1891 by industrialist O. ...

, in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Before running for mayor she was a noted historian and lecturer. She was born in

Shreve, Ohio Shreve is a village in Clinton Township, Wayne County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,514 at the 2010 census. Shreve is served by a branch of the Wayne County Public Library. History The village has the name of Thomas Shreve, the o ...

. Studying journalism briefly at the

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classified ...

, she did not graduate. In 1948, she became the first woman from the

Akron Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city prop ...

area to hold a seat in the

Ohio Senate The Ohio Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly. The State Senate, which meets in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, first convened in 1803. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such that half of the se ...

. She was a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, and served as mayor from 1956 to 1961. In May 1962, she came in second behind Charles Babcock in the Democratic primary for Ohio Secretary of State.

Electoral history

References

External links

Biography at Akron Women's HistoryProfile on the Ohio Ladies' Gallery website
1908 births 1974 deaths Mayors of places in Ohio Women mayors of places in Ohio Women state legislators in Ohio People from Barberton, Ohio 20th-century American legislators 20th-century American women politicians People from Shreve, Ohio 20th-century Ohio politicians {{Ohio-mayor-stub