Cora Reynolds Anderson

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Cora Reynolds Anderson
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the Iron district[1]
In office
November 4, 1924 – January 7, 1925
Preceded byPatrick H. O'Brien[2]
Succeeded byWilliam C. Birk[3]
Personal details
Born(1882-04-10)April 10, 1882
L'Anse, Michigan, U.S.
DiedApril 11, 1950(1950-04-11) (aged 68)
Pentland Township, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseCharles Harold Anderson

Cora Reynolds Anderson (April 10, 1882 – March 11, 1950) was an American politician who served in the Michigan House of Representatives as a member of the Republican Party. She was the first woman and Native American elected to the Michigan House of Representatives.

Early life[edit]

Cora Reynolds Anderson was born on April 10, 1882, in L'Anse, Michigan, to Robert B. Reynolds and Madeline Bachand. She was of English, French, and Chippewa descent.[4] She was a member of the first graduating class of L'Anse High School.[1] In 1903, she married Charles Harold Anderson.[5]

Michigan House of Representatives[edit]

Elections[edit]

In 1924, Anderson won the Republican nomination in the Iron district and won in the general election without opposition to succeed Patrick H. O'Brien.[6][2] She was the first woman and Native American to serve in the Michigan House of Representatives.[7][4] Anderson was inaugurated on November 4, 1924.[4]

On April 28, 1926, Anderson announced at a meeting of the Michigan Federation of Republican Women's clubs that she would seek reelection.[8] During the campaigned she urged other women to seek election to political offices.[9] On July 28, she filed to renomination as the Republican candidate, but was defeated in the primary by William C. Birk.[10][11] No other women were nominated by the Republican Party during the 1926 elections.[12] In the general election Birk won and Anderson left office on January 7, 1925.[4]

Tenure[edit]

In 1925, Speaker Fred B. Wells appointed Anderson as chair of the committee on the industrial school for girls at Adrian, Michigan.[13] During the fifty-third session of the Michigan House of Representatives from 1925 to 1926 she served on the Agriculture, Insurance, and Northern State Normal School committees.[4]

On September 9, 1925, Anderson was selected to serve as vice president of the Republican Women's Federation of Michigan.[14] From January 5 to 6, 1926, she served as a delegate, as one of the first women to do so, representing Michigan at the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence tidewater congress.[15]

Later life and legacy[edit]

Anderson died on March 11, 1950, in Pentland Township, Michigan.[4][1]

On December 19, 2000, the Anderson House Office Building (the office building for Michigan state House members) was named in her honor.[16] In 2001, she was inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.[17] In 2022, a bill to name the post office located at 404 US-41 North in Baraga County, Michigan the “Cora Reynolds Anderson Post Office” was signed into law.[18][19]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Pioneer Woman Legislator Dies". Lansing State Journal. March 13, 1950. p. 13. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b "1924 election results". The Unionville Crescent. November 14, 1924. p. 6. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "William C. Birk Legislator Details". Library of Michigan. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Cora Reynolds Anderson Legislator Details". Library of Michigan. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  5. ^ "Marriage". The News-Palladium. January 30, 1925. p. 9. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "1924 primary results". Detroit Free Press. September 11, 1924. p. 11. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "L'Anse Representative Will Imitate "Golden Silence" of President, She Says". Detroit Free Press. January 8, 1925. p. 12. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Mrs. Cora Anderson to Run Again, Tells Committee of GOP Federation". Lansing State Journal. April 28, 1926. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Women seek political office". The Unionville Crescent. May 7, 1926. p. 2. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Only Woman Legislator Files Petitions Wednesday". Associated Press. July 29, 1926. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Anderson loses". Associated Press. September 18, 1926. p. 4. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "No other women nominated". Battle Creek Enquirer. September 19, 1926. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "First Woman Solon Given Chairmanship of Committee". The News-Palladium. January 13, 1925. p. 14. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Local Woman On Executive Committee of GOP Body". The News-Palladium. September 10, 1925. p. 1. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Tidewater Congress Delegates Named". Associated Press. December 19, 1925. p. 11. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "State House building dedicated to first female representative". The Times Herald. December 20, 2000. p. 11. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Portrait unveiled of first woman, Native American to serve in Michigan House". WILX-TV. December 9, 2016. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  18. ^ Team, TV6 News. "Bill to name Baraga County Post Office after first Michigan woman in House of Reps signed into law".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ "Bills Signed: H.J. Res. 100, H.R. 8454, S. 3826, and S. 3884 - Q'Hubo News". December 2, 2022.
  20. ^ "First woman in the Michigan Senate". Detroit Free Press. March 17, 1987. p. 11. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
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