100 Years, 100 Women exhibit on display at the Dallas Public Library

The display includes City Managers past and present, former Library Director, Mayors and Council members.

by Source: Dallas City Hall

DALLAS — The first woman mayor of Dallas, first female City Manager and the first female library director are among those selected for the YWCA of Metropolitan Dallas Centennial Award, honoring women who have had the most significant influence on the City during the past century.The women are honored with a special exhibit, 100 Years, 100 Women on display through July 3 on the first floor of the Dallas Public Library, 1515 Young St. The exhibit features numerous historical photos and information about women who played important roles in Dallas, including:

Jan Hart Black: First woman named City Controller, first woman director of budget and research and the first female City Manager of Dallas. Financial World Magazine named Dallas Best Managed City for two consecutive years during her tenure as City Manager. She currently serves as president of the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce, the first woman to hold that position.

Mary K. Suhm: Named City Manager of Dallas in June 2005, her abilities have earned her a reputation for creativity and innovation in meeting big city challenges. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, she led the largest evacuation effort in the nation’s history, establishing and operating two major shelters and a Disaster Recovery Center in Dallas. The North Central Texas Council of Government presented her with the Linda Keithley Award for Women in Public Management and in 2006 she was named Woman of the Year by the Women’s Council of Dallas County.

Mary Dickson Exall: President of the Dallas Federation of Women’s Club and founder of the Dallas Public Library, she encouraged leaders of women’s organizations to help meet the city’s need for a library. By March 1899, a total of $12,000 was raised to purchase the land; and Exall secured an additional $50,000 from Andrew Carnegie who was donating funds to cities to establish public libraries. A charter member of the YWCA, she was also instrumental in the organizing and establishing the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, now the Dallas Museum of Art.

Adelfa Callejo: The first Mexican-American to become chairman of the Library Board, she also served as chair of the Board of Commissioners for the Dallas Housing Authority. She has received numerous awards for her commitment to social and political empowerment, including the Distinguished Alumni Award from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law and the 1998 Spirit of Excellence Award from the American Bar Association.

Dr. Erin Bain Jones: One of the founders and first president of the Friends of the Dallas Public Library, she was also a president of the Friends of the Texas State Libraries, and a respected attorney and scholar. As result of her work and her endowment of a special fund, the Dallas Women’s Club established the Erin Bain Jones Scholarship fund, which has provided scholarships to thousands of area residents pursuing higher education. She also was named a Distinguished Alumna by SMU in 1962.

Lillian Bradshaw: The first woman Director of the Dallas Public Library from 1962-1984, Bradshaw also served as president of the Texas Library Association and the American Library Association. In 1975, she was a finalist for Librarian of Congress but requested that her name be withdrawn because she preferred to remain in Dallas. She was honored by Texas Woman's University's creation of an endowed chair in library science in her name in 1987.

Adlene Harrison: The first female mayor of Dallas, she was also appointed a regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by President Jimmy Carter. Harrison currently serves on the advisory boards of the Women’s Museum and for the Women’s Center of Dallas. She is also a board member of the Dallas Jewish Coalition and involved with the City of Dallas Human Services Commission.

Annette Strauss: As mayor from 1987 to 1991, she helped bring Dallas out of an economic and cultural downturn. During her tenure as president and chairman of TACA, the arts funding organization for North Texas, she founded the Silver Cup Award to recognize leadership efforts in the arts. She was named “Ambassador-at-large” for the city of Dallas after her term as mayor until her death in 1998.

Anita N. Martinez: The first Hispanic to serve on the Dallas City Council and the first Hispanic woman to be elected to the city council of any major U.S. city, she fought for social, health, and infrastructure improvements in West Dallas and depressed communities. She is the founder of the Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico to help Hispanic youth learn their culture through the performing arts.

Lucy Phelps Patterson: The first African American woman elected to the Dallas City Council, she was also a charter member of the National Association of Social Workers, the Academy of Certified Social Workers, and the Texas Faculty Association. In 1985, she was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the National Afro-American History and Culture Commission and was elected vice chairperson. Patterson founded the North Texas Association of Black Social Workers.

The exhibit also will be displayed on the first floor of Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St., on July 3; at the Old Red Museum, 100 S. Houston St. on Aug. 5; and at the Women’s Museum, 3800 Parry Ave. on Sept. 20. For more information, go to http://www.ywcadallas.org/100-exhibit.asp.

Source: Dallas City Hall