Mary Risteau | |
---|---|
Maryland House of Delegates | |
In office 1951–1955 | |
Constituency | Harford County |
Maryland Senate | |
In office 1935–1937 | |
Preceded by | Abram G. Ensor |
Succeeded by | J. Wilmer Cronin |
Constituency | Harford County |
Maryland House of Delegates | |
In office 1931–1935 | |
Constituency | Harford County |
In office 1922–1926 | |
Constituency | Harford County |
Personal details | |
Born | Mary Eliza Watters Risteau April 24, 1890 Towson, Maryland, U.S. |
Died | July 24, 1978 Jarrettsville, Maryland, U.S. | (aged 88)
Resting place | William Watters Memorial Church Cemetery |
Political party | Democratic |
Alma mater |
Towson University University of Baltimore School of Law ( LLB) |
Occupation |
|
Mary Eliza Watters Risteau (April 24, 1890 – July 24, 1978) was an American politician who was the first woman elected to both the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland State Senate. [1] [2]
Mary Eliza Watters Risteau was born in Towson, Maryland on April 24, 1890, to Elizabeth (née Watters) and William M. Risteau. [3] [4] She graduated from Towson High School in 1907. [3] [2] [5] In 1912, she graduated from Towson University (then the Maryland State Normal School). [4] She completed a special advanced course of study in Mathematics at Johns Hopkins University in 1917 before serving as a schoolteacher. [2] In 1938, Risteau received her L.L.B. Degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law. [2] [6] In 1917, she moved to Eden Manor, the Watters family dairy farm, a property her mother inherited in Jarrettsville. [4] [6]
In 1921, Risteau, a Democrat, became the first woman elected to the Maryland House of Delegates and served four terms (1922-1926 and 1931–1935) followed by an election to the Maryland Senate in 1935 for a single term. [1] [2] [7] [8] She ran for the Senate first in 1926 but lost to A. G. Ensor. [8] [9] She served on several committees while in the Senate, including the Committee on Education and the Committee on Agriculture, during her time in the General Assembly, and she was a strong sponsor of women's rights. [2] She sided with the "wet forces" and served on the Senate Temperance Committee and spoke out against Prohibition. [2] [10] In 1944, she ran against incumbent Harry Streett Baldwin for Maryland's 2nd congressional district. [11]
Concurrent to her role as a legislator, she served as the first woman on the Maryland State Board of Education for 16 years. [2] [3] She was appointed to this position by Governor Albert Ritchie in 1922. [2] Risteau was also a clerk of the Circuit Court for Harford County; she was appointed as the first woman clerk in 1938 and served for one year. [2] [10] [3] In 1939, she was appointed as the first woman State Commissioner of Loans in Maryland. [2] [10] [4] [3]
In 1951, she was elected one final time to the House of Delegates, where she served for another four years. [2] [12]
In 1987, she was posthumously inducted into Towson High School's Alumni Hall of Fame. [5] In 1988, she was posthumously inducted into Maryland Women's Hall of Fame. [12]
The Mary E. W. Risteau Multi Services Center, a district court building in Bel Air, Maryland was named in her honor. [6] [13] [14]
Risteau never married. [4] She was known as "Miss Mary" by contemporaries. [4]
She died on July 24, 1978, at her dairy farm in Jarrettsville at the age of 88. [10] She is buried at William Watters Memorial Church Cemetery in Jarrettsville. [14]
Mary Risteau | |
---|---|
Maryland House of Delegates | |
In office 1951–1955 | |
Constituency | Harford County |
Maryland Senate | |
In office 1935–1937 | |
Preceded by | Abram G. Ensor |
Succeeded by | J. Wilmer Cronin |
Constituency | Harford County |
Maryland House of Delegates | |
In office 1931–1935 | |
Constituency | Harford County |
In office 1922–1926 | |
Constituency | Harford County |
Personal details | |
Born | Mary Eliza Watters Risteau April 24, 1890 Towson, Maryland, U.S. |
Died | July 24, 1978 Jarrettsville, Maryland, U.S. | (aged 88)
Resting place | William Watters Memorial Church Cemetery |
Political party | Democratic |
Alma mater |
Towson University University of Baltimore School of Law ( LLB) |
Occupation |
|
Mary Eliza Watters Risteau (April 24, 1890 – July 24, 1978) was an American politician who was the first woman elected to both the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland State Senate. [1] [2]
Mary Eliza Watters Risteau was born in Towson, Maryland on April 24, 1890, to Elizabeth (née Watters) and William M. Risteau. [3] [4] She graduated from Towson High School in 1907. [3] [2] [5] In 1912, she graduated from Towson University (then the Maryland State Normal School). [4] She completed a special advanced course of study in Mathematics at Johns Hopkins University in 1917 before serving as a schoolteacher. [2] In 1938, Risteau received her L.L.B. Degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law. [2] [6] In 1917, she moved to Eden Manor, the Watters family dairy farm, a property her mother inherited in Jarrettsville. [4] [6]
In 1921, Risteau, a Democrat, became the first woman elected to the Maryland House of Delegates and served four terms (1922-1926 and 1931–1935) followed by an election to the Maryland Senate in 1935 for a single term. [1] [2] [7] [8] She ran for the Senate first in 1926 but lost to A. G. Ensor. [8] [9] She served on several committees while in the Senate, including the Committee on Education and the Committee on Agriculture, during her time in the General Assembly, and she was a strong sponsor of women's rights. [2] She sided with the "wet forces" and served on the Senate Temperance Committee and spoke out against Prohibition. [2] [10] In 1944, she ran against incumbent Harry Streett Baldwin for Maryland's 2nd congressional district. [11]
Concurrent to her role as a legislator, she served as the first woman on the Maryland State Board of Education for 16 years. [2] [3] She was appointed to this position by Governor Albert Ritchie in 1922. [2] Risteau was also a clerk of the Circuit Court for Harford County; she was appointed as the first woman clerk in 1938 and served for one year. [2] [10] [3] In 1939, she was appointed as the first woman State Commissioner of Loans in Maryland. [2] [10] [4] [3]
In 1951, she was elected one final time to the House of Delegates, where she served for another four years. [2] [12]
In 1987, she was posthumously inducted into Towson High School's Alumni Hall of Fame. [5] In 1988, she was posthumously inducted into Maryland Women's Hall of Fame. [12]
The Mary E. W. Risteau Multi Services Center, a district court building in Bel Air, Maryland was named in her honor. [6] [13] [14]
Risteau never married. [4] She was known as "Miss Mary" by contemporaries. [4]
She died on July 24, 1978, at her dairy farm in Jarrettsville at the age of 88. [10] She is buried at William Watters Memorial Church Cemetery in Jarrettsville. [14]