Clippings related to Lillian Exum Clement Stafford

Women’s News, Fashions, Food Journal SENTINEL - Section D WINSTON-SALEM, N. C., SUNDAjp MORNING, JANUARY 7, 1951 ** MR BB V*<"' / When State Auditor Henry Bridgers is out of Raleigh, Deputy Auditor Josephine Rand handles most of the office business. Miss Rand began working for the State in 1919, worked for a while in a private law office, and then be¬ came an employee under the late State Auditor George Ross Pou. Ten years ago, she was named deputy State Auditor. She kept the job when Auditor Bridgers took over. Dr. Ellen Winston is the only woman who heads a major Staffe department in North Carolina. Public Welfare. Left is Attorney B. S. Womble of Winston-Sale She is Commissioner of m, on the right is Dr. J. W. R. Norton, State Health Officer. Miss Susie Sharpe of Reidsville swapped her title of lawyer for that of judge when she was appointed to the Superior Court bench last year by Governor Scott. An attractive woman who had been in a law partnership with her father, Judge Sharpe resigned as city attorney in Reidsville to mount the bench. She was the first woman judge in the history of the State. Few N.C. Women Havel Made Political History By Marjorie Hunter Journal Woman's Editor RALEIGH. — It isn’t that women and politics don’t mix. The right ingre¬ dients are there, the men have taken a hand at the stirring, but most of the women have stayed on the kitchen shelf instead of jumping into the political mix¬ ing bowl. In other words, say North Carolina’s political leaders, women just haven’t tried to make a go of politics in this State. Many of them have talked about po¬ litical careers — and that is about as far as they have gone. A few have turned that talk into action and carved out a slice of the State’s political life for them- r - -v. Most of those few made a success of it. Ten women made political history in North Carolina by serving in the General Assembly and one has served as principal clerk of the House since 1943, a coveted job that, had always been handed to men. One woman handled the job of head¬ ing the State Department of Public Wel¬ fare so well that, when she retired, men picked another wom<*i as her successor. And upon retirement of the second, men again picked a woman for the job. One served as office head of the State Blind Commission. Another was on the important Unem¬ ployment Compensation Commission’s three-member board during the days when the State was easing itself out of the depression. One served briefly as assistant Paroles Commissioner. Another is beginning her second year as a Superior Court judge. And still another holds the job of deputy State Auditor. A few others have served or are serv¬ ing on important State boards and com¬ missions. And there the list stops short. No Women Legislators FEMININE participation in law-mak¬ ing has dipped back to the same non¬ existent level it was on before that day in 1921 when an attractive 27-year-old Woman entered the Hall of the House and took a seat. Representative Exum Clement of Asheville had won that House seat over two male opponents even be¬ fore ratification of the amendment granting women the right to vote. She became the first woman in the South elected to a Legislature. During the 30 years since that day, nine women have joined the legislative roll call, some sessions having as many as two women solons. "This year, there are none. Exum Clement's spectacular debut in politics tends to prove several of the reasons cited this week by top State of¬ ficials for the slow political progress of North Carolina women. High on the list of reasons was simply lack of interest, failure to try. Too, the jealousy motive enters. Wom¬ en, say the men, would rather see a man in office than another woman. Exum Clement was voted into office by men, since women had not yet won the right to cast ballots. Top officials gave another big reason. Too many women who do become active in politics enter in the robes of crusaders, with one particular reform in mind, say the men. They make themselves obnoxi¬ ous by harping on that one subject. Governor's Views. (GOVERNOR Scott, who has appointed У more women to top political jobs than any other Governor in the history of the State, contends that the big trouble is that women haven’t tried. “The jobs are there for them, but few have sought them,” he said. “Most of those who have served have done good jobs.” The Governor believes that one of the underlying factors is simply that “wom¬ en don’t like to work for other women.” Secretary of State Thad Eure, also in favor of the theory that women haven’t tried, came up with the information that there are more potential women voters than men. “If they banded together, the women could pretty nearly run the State,” he pointed out. “But thousands upon thou¬ sands of them don’t even bother to put their names on the registration books.” Whatever lack of progress women have made, Secretary Eure claims, can’t be blamed on the men. “Men gave women the right to vote,” he said. “And an all-male Legislature paved the way for amending our Con¬ stitution to change all references of ‘man’ to ‘person.’ ” There is an open political field for women, Attorney General Harry McMul- lan said. But women, he added, haven’t tried to “plow it up.” State Treasurer Brandon Hodges, Com¬ missioner of Agriculture L. Y. Ballentine and State Auditor Henry Briders echoed шт Mrs. Annie Cooper of Raleigh was the first woman to win the politically im¬ portant job of principal clerk of the House. That was in 1943 and she has been re-elected every session since then. the Attorney General’s opinion. ' National Committeeman Jonathan Dan¬ iels had a different theory to offer. Just about two-thirds of the women are ruled out because of marriage and family, and few of the remaining one-third are capable, he contended. Mr. Daniels, a strong advocate of the idea that “woman’s place is in the home,” softened his statement by* adding that “few men have achieved political great¬ est ness” without help from their wives on the home front. Whether any or all of these theories offered by the men who have made po¬ litical successes in the State are correct, the record shows that progress has been slow in the 30 years since North Caro¬ lina women began casting their votes. Exum Clement served one term in the Legislature, returned with the new name of Mrs. Exum Clement Stafford for the special session late that same year, and then dropped out of politics. In 1925, Julia Alexander of Charlotte became the State’s second woman legis¬ lator by serving in the House. She did not return for another term, but a fellow townsman, Carrie McLean, served in the House in 1927. She, too, was a one-term¬ er. Four years later, the Senate got its first woman legislator, Mrs. E. L. McKee of the 32d District — Haywood, Hender¬ son, Jackson, Polk and Transylvania. That same year, Mrs. Lillie M. Mebane of Rockingham County served in the House. Mrs. McKee was to win four more Senate terms, but she died in 1948 just a short time before entering the Senate for that last term. She served in 1931, 1937, and 1943. Mrs. Mebane ended her legislative career in the 1933 House. Another two- termer, Mrs. Charles Hutchins of Yancey County, stepped forward for the 1935 «nd j; . Aiid in Mrs. W. СоуеА^ИИрГокес Cuiiiii/y beg.:: г?,-? first of thV!.£w?rterms she was to serve. Seeking a tic< i term last year, she was defeated in tne primary. Second Senator UP UNTIL 1947, Mrs. McKee had been the only woman to hold a Senate seat. Then that year, Mrs. R. S. Ferguson of the 28th District — Alexander, Burke and Caldwell — took oath of office and the title of Senator. She was a one-termer. Political history was made in 1949 when Mrs. Walter G. Craven and Mrs. Joe Ervin served in the House a» Rep¬ resentatives from Mecklenburg County. It was the first time one county had sent two women to the Assembly in the same year. Only Mrs. Cover among these veterans sought re-election to the Legislature for this session. She lost, along with four other women who made House races. Two went down in Wake, Mrs. Mary Withers Richardson and Mrs. Harriett B. Shearon; one in Bertie, Mrs. J. B. Parker; and one in Chowan, Mrs. Josie R. Wheel¬ er. No women sought Senate seats. That is the legislative picture for 30 years. This year, 250 women are serv¬ ing in legislatures in 42 other states. In non-legislative circles, few women have risen above secretarial status in the granite buildings that encircle the State Capitol. The same year the Legislature received its first woman member, Mrs. Kate Burr Johnson became the first woman to head a major State department in North Caro¬ lina and the first woman Commissioner of Public Welfare in the United States. When she left the job in 1930, one of the greatest tributes to her success was the appointment of another woman, Mrs. W. T. Bost, as her successor. Mrs. Bost retired in 1944 and men again turned to a woman, Dr. Ellen Black Winston, to head the Welfare Commission. Dr. Win¬ ston still holds the job, is the only woman new heading a major State department. A few years after Mrs. Bost stepped into a commissionership, Mrs. J. B. Spil- man of Greenville became one of the three members of the important Unem¬ ployment Compensation Commission. Dr. Roma Cheek served several years as excutive secretary of the State Com¬ mission for the Blind, and Mrs. Hilda Carpenter became assistant Paroles Commissioner last year for a few short months before stepping down after a dis¬ agreement with the Commissioner. Miss Josephine Rand took over the job of deputy State Auditor , a job she still holds, some IQ years ago after 21 years of «-.«Vr.» '11TV The principal clerkship of the House, a political favorite for years bceause of its proximity to influential legislators, moved into a woman's hands in 1943. Mrs. Annie Cooper had served as a com¬ mittee clerk in every session since 1919 before winning this politically powerful job. She has served every session since. Mrs. J. V. Whitfield and Miss Ethel Parker have served on the State Board of Agriculture. On appointment of Gover¬ nor Scott, Mrs. Roland McClamrock be¬ came the "first woman member of the State Board of Conservation and Devel¬ opment and Mrs. Reba Gavin became the first woman on the Rural Electrifi¬ cation Authority. It was Governor Scott who gave North Carolina feminine political stock its greatest boost of the decade when he named Lawyer Susie Sharp of Reidsville as a Superior Court judge, the first woman permitted to sit on the bench in this State. For Men Alone IN SOME other states, women have moved ahead more rapidly in politics. In others, the progress has been slower. And even on the national level, politics still is primarily for men alone. After 30 years, Political Columnist Doris Fleeson wrote from Washington last month, women are still second-class citizens in the highest level of govern¬ ment. The political mirror reflects the same in North Carolina. i ^ . . * . ,~ -- ЕЯ Two Charlotte women made political history in 1949 when .they took seats in the House. It was the first time one county had sent two women to the Assembly in one year. Neither Mrs. Walter G. Craven, right, nor Joe Ervin, left, sought re-election for this session. Mrs. R. S'. Ferguson of Alexander County was the second woman to serve in the State Senate. Mrs. E. L. McKee of Jackson County, right, was the first woman to serve in the State Senate. That was in 1931 and she returned in 1937 and 1943. She was elected for the 1949 term but died a short while before it opened. Mrs. G. W. Cover of Cherokee, left, served two terms in the House.