Category Archives: Women in Politics

1926 Revisited: Nellie Tayloe Ross, First Woman Governor, Wins Again?

Picture this: It’s a crisp autumn day in 1926, and Wyoming’s capitol building in Cheyenne is buzzing with excitement. Election results are trickling in, and against all odds, Nellie Tayloe Ross has just secured a second term as governor. The … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized, Women in History, Women in Politics, women's history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

suffrage \ noun suf·frage \ ˈsə-frij , sometimes -fə-rij \ Definition: The right to vote, especially in political elections

Wyoming is unique among the states that form our nation, in granting women the right to vote in 1869. The territory of Wyoming paved the way for the rest of the country, not only by being the first to allow … Continue reading

Posted in American history, Gender Equality, Suffrage -- United States, Uncategorized, University of Wyoming history, Women -- suffrage, Women in Politics, women's history, Women's suffrage, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nellie Tayloe Ross: The (First) Governor Lady

On Nov 4, 1924, Nellie Tayloe Ross was elected governor of Wyoming, and became the first woman governor in the United States. Ross was elected a month after her husband, Governor William B. Ross, died suddenly of appendicitis. On the … Continue reading

Posted in Politics, Ross, Nellie Tayloe, western politics and leadership, Women in History, Women in Politics, women's history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wyoming Equality Day: Liz Byrd’s quest to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.

Did you perhaps wonder as you sipped your coffee this morning about how Wyoming Equality Day originated?  Cheyenne native and Wyoming state legislator Harriett Elizabeth “Liz” Byrd was the guiding individual behind it.  Byrd was the first black woman to … Continue reading

Posted in African American history, Martin Luther King Jr., Political history, Social justice, Women in Politics, women's history, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Celebrating Wyoming Women

As a celebration of women’s accomplishments and progress towards equal footing with men, here are a few Wyoming women with notable firsts. Of course, no mention of women’s history in Wyoming could be complete without paying homage to Nellie Tayloe … Continue reading

Posted in Women -- suffrage, Women in Politics, women's history, Women's suffrage, Wyoming history | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment