Bill Lynch: Joan McGrath, Sonoma’s first woman mayor

The Index-Tribune published a front-page story on Jan. 19 on the passing of Jeanne Lamb Markson Artson at the age of 92 (“Sonoma Mourns the Death of One of Its First Female Mayors”). Jeanne was one of our community’s most energetic and active leaders for many years and served on the Sonoma City Council from 1982 to 1990, including a term as mayor. She was not, however, as the article stated, “the first woman ever elected mayor of Sonoma.”

That error has been corrected by the I-T (“For the Record: Women Mayors,” Jan. 26). The real honor of being Sonoma’s first woman elected mayor goes to Joan McGrath, who was elected to the post in 1956, when it truly was unusual for women to serve in such positions.

Joan McGrath was a remarkable civic leader even before she ran for city council and became mayor. A graduate of College of Pacific, she came to Sonoma in 1931 as a music teacher, and eventually married a local physician, Dr. A.K. McGrath. From day one, she was active on many fronts, including in the Sonoma Valley Woman’s Club and served on boards of the Red Cross, Girl Scouts and Campfire Girls.

Before running for council, she was a leader on the committees for passage of the bond that got our present hospital built and for local school bonds.

In 1952 she ran for one of two open seats for the Sonoma City Council. There were also five men running.

In her pre-election statement, she said, “I am against the philosophy of ‘let George do it.’ I believe that the most important job of the city councilman is to develop and determine the policy and program of city government for today and for tomorrow too; to interest and inform the citizens, and to invite and encourage citizen participation, particularly at the local level.”

In words that ring true nearly 70 years later she added, “I am convinced of the basic truth that each and every one of us must be vitally interested in our government… and who has a greater opportunity to contact, arouse and interest that ‘better half’ of our citizenry than another woman.”

She was the top vote-getter in that election, beating all of the men, including the incumbents.

When she ran for re-election in 1956, she once again garnered the most votes, and was elected mayor by the other four members of the council (all men).

By any standard she was a remarkable community leader and served on the Sonoma City Council until 1960.

It would be 15 years before another woman would be elected to be mayor of our city. In 1975, Councilwoman Nancy Parmelee became mayor, and then was elected to a second mayoral term in 1979, and a third in 1986. Five years after her, in 1984, Jeanne Markson became the third woman to be elected mayor of our fair city. Jeanne was followed by Valerie Brown in 1990 and Phillis Carter in 1992, 1994 and 1997. Then there was a 10-year gap until Joanne Sanders was elected mayor in 2007.

Since then of course, other women have been elected to the city council and served as mayor.