Minnie Buckingham Harper (May 15, 1886 – February 10, 1978) was an American politician and housewife. Born in

Winfield, West Virginia Winfield is a city in Putnam County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,397 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Putnam County. Winfield is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA ...

, Harper was a resident of Keystone when she became in 1928 the first black woman legislator in the United States. She was appointed by Governor

Howard M. Gore Howard Mason Gore (October 12, 1877June 20, 1947) was an American politician. He served as the 8th Secretary of Agriculture from 1924 to 1925, during the administration of President Calvin Coolidge, and he served as 17th governor of West Virg ...

to the

West Virginia House of Delegates The West Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the West Virginia Legislature. Only three states—Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia—refer to their lower house as the House of Delegates. Organization Regular sessions begin with ...

to fill the vacancy left by the death of her husband

Ebenezer Howard Harper Ebenezer Howard Harper was a lawyer and state legislator in West Virginia. He became a lawyer and was nominated from McDowell County. His office was in Keystone, West Virginia. Howard Sutherland and Alfred S. Paull, an insurance businessman who ...

. The McDowell County Republican Executive Committee unanimously recommended that Harper fill her husband's position. She did not seek reelection at the end of her term.

References

External links

* 1886 births 1978 deaths People from Putnam County, West Virginia Republican Party members of the West Virginia House of Delegates African-American state legislators in West Virginia African-American women in politics Women state legislators in West Virginia People from Keystone, West Virginia 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians 20th-century African-American women 20th-century African-American politicians {{WestVirginia-politician-stub