Edwynne Cutler "Polly" Rosenbaum (September 4, 1899 – December 28, 2003) was a teacher and politician who was

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

's longest-serving

state legislator A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United S ...

, representing

Gila County Gila County ( ) is in the central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53,272. The county seat is Globe. Gila County comprises the Payson, Arizona Micropolitan Statistical Area. Gila County contains p ...

in the Arizona House of Representatives for 46 years.Edwynne "Polly" Rosenbaum (b. 1899, d. 2003)
Arizona Women's Heritage Trail website, accessed October 26, 2010House Concurrent Resolution 2042, A Concurrent Resolution on the Death of the Honorable Edwynne C. "Polly" Rosenbaum
State of Arizona House of Representatives Forty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session, 2004

Life and career before entering the state legislature

Polly Rosenbaum was born Edwynne Cutler in

Ollie Ollie is a given name and a nickname, often as a shortened form of Oliver, Olive, Olympia, Olga or Olivia. Variants include Olie, Oli, Oly and Olly. People Given name * Ollie Marie Adams (1925–1998), American gospel and R&B singer * Olli ...

, Iowa, in 1899.
Arizona Mineral Resource
', No. 37, February 2004 She moved to

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

as a child and attended the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University o ...

, where she graduated in 1922 with 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 ...

in history and political science. She taught school in Iowa, Colorado, and in

Lusk, Wyoming Lusk is a high-plains town in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Wyoming. The town is the seat of Niobrara County. The town was founded in July 1886, by Frank S. Lusk, a renowned Wyoming rancher, partner in the Western Live Stock Company, an ...

,Walter Mare
Local tribute paid to Arizona legend 'Polly' Rosenbaum
''Eastern Arizona Courier'', January 14, 2004 and undertook graduate study at the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

, which awarded her a master's degree in education in 1929. In 1929 she moved to

Hayden, Arizona Hayden is a town in Gila and Pinal counties in Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town was 662. History Hayden was founded in 1909 and owned by the Kennecott Copper Corp. In 1912, the company built a s ...

, a mining town, to take a teaching job. She supplemented her teacher's pay by working as a secretary for the Inspiration Consolidated Copper Company. Polly Cutler's secretarial work took her to the

Arizona State Capitol The Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, was the last home for Arizona's Territorial government, until Arizona became a state in 1912. Initially, all three branches of the new state government occupied the four floors of t ...

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, where she met Representative William "Rosey" Rosenbaum, whom she married in 1939. Rosey Rosenbaum, who represented Gila County, later became Speaker of the House.

Career in Arizona legislature

When her husband died unexpectedly in 1949 after 22 years in the legislature, Polly Rosenbaum was appointed to fill the remainder of her husband's term, taking office on January 12, 1949.Paul Davenport (Associated Press)
Longest serving Arizona Representative dies at age 104
''Today's News-Herald'' (Lake Havasu City, Arizona), December 30, 2003 When the legislative seat came up for election in 1950, Rosenbaum ran for the seat in her own right and won. 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 ...

, she was to win a total of 22 elections to two-year terms. She retired from the legislature at the age of 95 after losing the November 1994 election to a political newcomer who benefited from redistricting (which had resulted in her district including parts of eight

counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

) and an

anti-incumbency Anti-incumbency is sentiment in favor of voting out incumbent politicians. It is sometimes referred to as a "throw the bums out" sentiment. Periods of anti-incumbent sentiment are typically characterized by wave elections. This sentiment can also le ...

mood.Ann Rovin
Arizona Says So Long to an Institution; Polly Rosenbaum shaped state law for 22 terms. She lost this year's election, but nobody counts her out
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'', December 12, 1994 Several weeks after her election loss, former U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater, an Arizona

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, told the ''

'': "People in this state still can't believe she was defeated.... She's so damn good that everybody wanted to see her stay in the Legislature as long as she wanted—and I have a hunch that was where she planned to spend her life." As a legislator, Rosenbaum was particularly noted for her efforts on behalf of Arizona's rural areas and her support for education,

libraries A library is a collection of Document, materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or electronic media, digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a ...

, museums, and

historic preservation Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK), is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...

. She was chairman of the House Administration Committee for 16 years and later was chairman of the House Education Committee. As Education Committee chairman, she is credited with passing legislation in 1964 to provide education for homebound children in Arizona.Polly Rosenbaum, 1899 – 2003. Inducted in 2006.
, Arizona Women's Hall of Fame website, accessed October 27, 2010 Rosenbaum was also noted for her commitment to the interests of women. She once said of Arizona's women: "The women really won the West, not the men. The women are the ones who got the libraries and worked for the schools." Although she voted against ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the

U.S. Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the nation ...

, in 1968 she was one of a group of eight women members of the Arizona House who combed through the Arizona Constitution to eliminate language that discriminated on the basis of gender. She also is credited with getting

spittoon A spittoon (or spitoon) is a receptacle made for spitting into, especially by users of chewing and dipping tobacco. It is also known as a cuspidor (which is the Portuguese word for "spitter" or "spittoon", from the verb "cuspir" meaning "to s ...

s removed from the House chambers and barring the wearing of

miniskirt A miniskirt (sometimes hyphenated as mini-skirt, separated as mini skirt, or sometimes shortened to simply mini) is a skirt with its hemline well above the knees, generally at mid-thigh level, normally no longer than below the buttocks; and a ...

s by its female

pages Page most commonly refers to: * Page (paper), one side of a leaf of paper, as in a book Page, PAGE, pages, or paging may also refer to: Roles * Page (assistance occupation), a professional occupation * Page (servant), traditionally a young mal ...

Later life and death

At the time of her departure from the Arizona legislature at age 95, Rosenbaum was still known for her high energy level, almost always climbing the stairs to her third-floor office instead of using the

elevator An elevator or lift is a cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or decks of a building, vessel, or other structure. They a ...

. As a

volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

at the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum, she led guided tours for school groups and was known for her habit of running up the stairs.Bill Coates
Legendary lawmaker has 2 state buildings named in her honor
''Arizona Capitol Times'', September 1, 2006 She remained active for the rest of her life. After her death, the ''

Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. Copies are sold at $2 daily or at $3 ...

'' said of her in an editorial-page remembrance: "Right up to the end, she kept on giving speeches, serving on committees and even trying to get rose bushes planted in front of the Capitol again." Rosenbaum died from

congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

at age 104 on December 28, 2003.

Honors, awards, and legacy

Rosenbaum was the recipient of many honors and awards during her long life, as well as some posthumous honors. She was

Globe A globe is a spherical model of Earth, of some other celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but unlike maps, they do not distort the surface that they portray except to scale it down. A model glo ...

's Business and Professional Woman of the Year in 1960 and the Gila County Woman of the Year in 1974. In 1982 her colleagues in the state legislature passed a resolution giving her the title "First Lady of the Arizona Legislature." In 1983 she received the First Legislative Award of Arizona Library Friends. Northern Arizona University, the

University of Phoenix University of Phoenix (UoPX) is a private for-profit university headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1976, the university confers certificates and degrees at the certificate, associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree level ...

, and Arizona State University awarded her honorary degrees. In 2006 she was named to the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame. She is the namesake of two state government buildings in

. The Polly Rosenbaum Building is an historic building that houses the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum. The Polly Rosenbaum State Archives and History Building, completed in 2008 and dedicated in 2009, is the home of the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records. In 1999, the year of her 100th birthday, the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records established the Polly Rosenbaum Award in her honor, recognizing her support for libraries, museums, and archives, and the preservation of the state's cultural history. Known as the "Polly" Award, this award honors elected or appointed officials who "cherish Arizona’s rich cultural resources and support the work of the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records." It is presented each year on February 14, Arizona Statehood Day. The Polly Rosenbaum Writing Contest is conducted each year by the Arizona Educational Foundation, stimulating and recognizing creative writing by students in grades 7 through 12.About the Polly Rosenbaum Writing Contest
, Arizona Educational Foundation website, accessed October 27, 2010

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosenbaum, Polly 1899 births 2003 deaths American centenarians Democratic Party members of the Arizona House of Representatives People from Gila County, Arizona People from Keokuk County, Iowa University of Colorado alumni USC Rossier School of Education alumni Women state legislators in Arizona Women centenarians 20th-century American women 21st-century American women