Wisconsin History Day By Day

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"1st Woman Elected to City Council" The Capital Times, April 4, 1951

"Mrs. Ethel L. Brown, Former City Council Head, 80, Dies" Wisconsin State Journal, June 13, 1973


Vocabulary:

city council
former


Interesting Fact:

A small, soft-spoken person with a keen sense of humor, Mrs. Brown was known for her calm but unyielding insistence on speaking her mind.


Study Questions:

  • How long was Brown a member of the Madison City Council?
  • Before moving to Madison in 1923, what was Brown's occupation?
  • Who was the first woman elected in your community?


    Search these newspaper databases for additional stories about Wisconsin women first elected to local positions:

  • Wisconsin State Journal/The Capital Times
  • Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
  • BadgerLink Wisconsin Newsstand
  • Wisconsin Historical Society


    U.S. historical events that occurred on April 3:

    1860: The Pony Express began, running between St. Joseph, Missouri, and Sacramento, California.
    1882: Outlaw Jesse James is shot to death by a member of his gang.



    • April 3

    April 3, 1951: Voters elected the first woman to Madison's city council. Ethel Brown, a former president of the Wisconsin League of Women voters, defeated Floyd Wheeler by 348 votes.

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