Margaret Hance
Encyclopedia
Margaret Taylor Hance was the first female mayor
of Phoenix
, Arizona
, taking office in 1976. She proved popular, winning four consecutive two-year terms, from 1976 to 1983.
, to Glen C. and Helen Kenny Taylor, the youngest of three children. She grew up active in athletics.
She earned a Bachelor's degree from Scripps College
in Claremont, California
, in 1945. Hance, then Taylor, married Richard M. Hance in 1945, and the couple had three children.
Mrs. Hance was the president of the Junior League of Phoenix, a volunteer organization for women who want to improve the community, from 1959-1960.
In 1967, Hance began producing documentaries
for a local PBS affiliate. She decided to get involved in local politics after her husband died in 1970. Among her first significant public initiatives was creating the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, for which she was unofficially known as the "Mother of Mountain Preserve."
After retiring as mayor, Hance worked with the Reagan
and Bush (I) administrations.
Margaret Taylor Hance died of cancer
on April 29, 1990.
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, taking office in 1976. She proved popular, winning four consecutive two-year terms, from 1976 to 1983.
Biography
Hance (born Margaret Taylor) was born in Spirit Lake, IowaSpirit Lake, Iowa
Spirit Lake is a city in Dickinson County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,261 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Dickinson County.The town is located along the western shore of East Okoboji Lake, in the Iowa Great Lakes region....
, to Glen C. and Helen Kenny Taylor, the youngest of three children. She grew up active in athletics.
She earned a Bachelor's degree from Scripps College
Scripps College
Scripps College is a progressive liberal arts women's college in Claremont, California, United States. It is a member of the Claremont Colleges. Scripps ranks 3rd for the nation's best women's college, ahead of Barnard College, Mount Holyoke College, and Bryn Mawr College at 23rd on the list for...
in Claremont, California
Claremont, California
Claremont is a small affluent college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States, about east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of the 2010 census is 34,926. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its...
, in 1945. Hance, then Taylor, married Richard M. Hance in 1945, and the couple had three children.
Mrs. Hance was the president of the Junior League of Phoenix, a volunteer organization for women who want to improve the community, from 1959-1960.
In 1967, Hance began producing documentaries
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
for a local PBS affiliate. She decided to get involved in local politics after her husband died in 1970. Among her first significant public initiatives was creating the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, for which she was unofficially known as the "Mother of Mountain Preserve."
After retiring as mayor, Hance worked with the Reagan
Reagan Administration
The United States presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan administration, was a Republican administration headed by Ronald Reagan from January 20, 1981, to January 20, 1989....
and Bush (I) administrations.
Margaret Taylor Hance died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
on April 29, 1990.
Awards and honors
- Woman of the Year, 1978, Advertising Club
- Centennial Award, Salvation ArmySalvation ArmyThe Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
- President, National Conference of Republican Mayors and Elected Officials, 1982
- The Margaret T. Hance Park that is on top of the Deck Park Tunnel in Phoenix is named after Hance.