Bertha M. (McAntire) Paxton (1896–1966) born in

Las Cruces, New Mexico Las Cruces (; "the crosses") is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New Mexico and the seat of Doña Ana County. As of the 2020 census the population was 111,385. Las Cruces is the largest city in both Doña Ana County and southern New ...

, United States, was a Democratic politician. Paxton was the first woman elected to the

New Mexico Legislature The New Mexico Legislature ( es, Legislatura de Nuevo México) is the legislative branch of the state government of New Mexico. It is a bicameral body made up of the New Mexico House of Representatives and the New Mexico Senate. History The Ne ...

, serving one two-year term in the

New Mexico House of Representatives ) is the lower house of the New Mexico State Legislature. There are 70 members of the House. Each member represents roughly 25,980 residents of New Mexico. The most recent elections were held on November 3, 2020. Composition Leadership Cu ...

from 1923 to 1924, representing

Doña Ana County Don (; ; pt, Dom, links=no ; all from Latin ', roughly 'Lord'), abbreviated as D., is an honorific prefix primarily used in Spain and Hispanic America, and with different connotations also in Italy, Portugal and its former colonies, and Croatia ...

Life and career

Bertha M. McAntire was born in Las Cruces, Dona Ana County, New Mexico. She attended

Baird College Baird College was a women's educational facility which was founded in Clinton, Missouri in 1885 and operated for twelve years under the management of Priscilla Baird and her husband Homer. They closed the school in 1898, and though they tried to re ...

in Missouri. After graduating, she married J.H. Paxton and settled in Las Cruces, where she was known as "a dynamic figure who was a forceful speaker and original thinker". Bertha M. Paxton was elected to the

in 1922, becoming the first female state legislator. In the legislature, Paxton successfully passed a resolution for the observance of

Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the ...

. Paxton also sponsored bills on vocational education, child welfare reform, and programs for agricultural cooperative marketing. She was appointed chair of the committee on

enrolled bill In the United States Congress, an enrolled bill is the final copy of a bill (law), bill or joint resolution which has passed both Structure of the United States Congress, houses of Congress in identical form. In the United States, enrolled bills a ...

s. Paxton was not re-elected.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paxton, Bertha M. Democratic Party members of the New Mexico House of Representatives Women state legislators in New Mexico 1896 births 1966 deaths Politicians from Las Cruces, New Mexico 20th-century American women politicians 20th-century American politicians