Bertha Knight Landes

FIRST MAYOR OF A MAJOR U.S. CITY 1926-1928

A women’s club activist, Landes launched her political career in 1922 as one of the first two female Seattle City Council members.
In 1924, the no-nonsense Landes became acting mayor and promptly fired the police chief for allowing a wide open town and ignoring Prohibition.
Landes next ran for Mayor on a promise to clean up the town.
Her support for public power and municipal utilities generated discontent among private power companies.

"Since politics — until recently —has been a man’s world, men, as a whole are responsible for its corruption."