Strong Women Lead the Way
Public Service in the Past, Present and Future of Iowa
In 1928, Carolyn Campbell Pendray of Maquoketa was the first woman to serve in the Iowa House of Representatives, and she went on to become the first woman to serve in the Iowa Senate in 1932. Pendray’s legislative achievements include cosponsoring and passing legislation granting women new property rights, combating the influence of lobbyists and ratifying the child labor amendment. Without the dedication, determination and perseverance of Carolyn Campbell Pendray and many other women and men, many freedoms and opportunities would not be available today.
Strong women have led the way, yet our work is not done. . . Women comprise 22.7% of Iowa's General Assembly. Three of the thirty-four women serving in the Legislature are women of color. Iowa and Mississippi are the only two states that have never elected a woman to Congress or as Governor.
We must continue along the path set by pioneering women toward equality and justice for every Iowan. Iowa N.E.W. Leadership Institute, a 2009 IWF Grant Partner, is working to cultivate the next generation of women leaders.
To Kelly Thornburg, coordinator of Iowa N.E.W. Leadership, the program is an “opportunity for our community and state to talk about who we want representing us now and in the future and how we might find a way to make that happen.” One participant in the Institute commented that she was, “surprised by how much time and energy people are willing to invest in this program and in us as young women."
As Carolyn Campbell Pendray demonstrated, the path to create real change is through commitment and investment. After all, the only way that we can truly honor the legacy of this brave woman, and all of the women in Iowa’s history who have worked so hard for equality, is by fighting for what we believe in.
Source: Iowa Women’s Archives, The University of Iowa Biographical Dictionary of Iowa, Iowa Commission on the Status of Women, Mid-Year Report on Iowa N.E.W. Leadership
