Jeanette Williams

{{About|the American politician and activist|the American photographer|Jennette Williams}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Jeanette Williams

|image = Jeanettewilliams1974.jpg

|caption = Jeanette Williams, January 14, 1974

|office = Seattle City Council Member

|term_start = 1969

|term_end = 1989

|predecessor =

|successor = Cheryl Chow

|office1 = President of the Seattle City Council

|term_start1 = January 3, 1982

|term_end1 = January 3, 1984

|predecessor1 = Paul Kraabel

|successor1 = Norm Rice

|birth_date = {{birth date|1914|06|11}}

|birth_place = Seattle, Washington

|death_date = {{death date and age |2008|10|24 |1914|06|11}}

|death_place = Seattle, Washington

|nationality = American

|party = Democratic

|spouse = David Williams

|relations =

|children =

|residence =

|alma_mater = University of Washington, American Conservatory of Music

|occupation =

|profession = Politician, Activist, Musician

|religion =

|signature =

|website =

|footnotes =

}}

Alice Jeanette Williams (June 11, 1914 – October 24, 2008), née Alice Jeanette Klemptner, was an American politician and human and women's rights activist from Seattle, Washington. She served on the Seattle City Council from 1969 to 1989.

Early years

Born in Seattle, Washington to Russian immigrants, Dr. Louis and Olga Klemptner, she attended Mercer Grade School and Queen Anne High School.{{cite web|last1=Godden|first1=Jean|title=Williams, Jeanette (1914-2008)|url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9087|publisher=History Link|accessdate=18 February 2015|date=July 20, 2009}} Originally named after woman suffragist Alice Paul, she went by her middle name Jeanette beginning in her youth. At the age of 16, she attended Cornish School where she studied the violin with Peter Meremblum."Meremblum Pupils Will Give Recital," Seattle Post Intelligencer, 4 April 1932, p. 4. She later took private lessons from Mary Davenport Engberg concurrent with her studies at the University of Washington, where she did not major in violin or music, but instead received her undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts in 1935."Artists in Recitals and Plays," Seattle Times, 10 December 1933, p. 21."Violin Students To Give Concert Friday Evening," Seattle Times, 22 July 1934, p. 21."Given Honor," Seattle Post Intelligencer, 4 January 1937, p. 7."In Recitals," Seattle Times, 19 May 1935, p. 35.Tyee,, (Seattle: Associated Students of the University of Washington, 1935), p. 51. She went on to obtain two master's degrees at the American Conservatory of Music in Violin and Composition."Violin Students To Give Concert Friday Evening," Seattle Times, 22 July 1934, p. 21."Sisters to Be Feted at Home in Laurelhurst," Seattle Times, 23 August 1940, p. 13. While in Chicago, she played with the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra and formed a string quartet composed of women who toured the country playing jazz and blues music. She married David Williams of Anacortes whom she had met while travelling to Los Angeles with the group.

name=historyLink/>"Williams Settled in New Home," Seattle Post Intelligencer, 29 August 1942, p. 9.

Political career

Williams began her political career while serving as a precinct committee officer. In 1962, she became chairwoman of the King County Democrats, although she was not the first woman to be elected to this position."Demo Chairman May Be Woman," Seattle Post Intelligencer, 22 November 1962, p. 4."Mrs. Leavell Heads Demo County Group," Seattle Times, 26 May 1944, p. 12."Smith Succeeded by Mrs. Leavell," Seattle Post Intelligencer, 26 May 1944, p. 4.

File:JeanetteWilliamsSeattleWomensCommision.jpg

In 1969, she won a seat on the Seattle City Council where she would serve for twenty years after five consecutive re-elections. Williams introduced some of the first legislation to prohibit employment and housing discrimination against gays and lesbians in the city. She pushed for additional laws giving the same protections to transgender people. Councilman Tom Rasmussen noted that Williams "fought for women's rights and the rights of gay and lesbian people long before it was acceptable, when it was a very courageous and risky thing to do."{{cite news|last1=Castro|first1=Hector|title=Jeanette Williams, 1914-2008: Former councilwoman was Seattle icon|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Jeanette-Williams-1914-2008-Former-councilwoman-1289455.php|newspaper=Seattle Post-Intelligencer|accessdate=18 February 2015|date=October 26, 2008}}

In 1972, Williams formed the Seattle Women's Commission to advise the mayor, city council, and city departments on issues that impact women in Seattle.{{cite web|title=Seattle Women's Commission|url=http://www.seattle.gov/seattle-womens-commission|publisher=City of Seattle|accessdate=18 February 2015}} During her tenure, she lobbied the federal government for funding for the construction of the West Seattle Bridge and led and supported many efforts related to Seattle parks. She introduced legislation to convert Kubota Garden to a city park and promoted the preservation of the Sand Point Naval Air Station as Magnuson Park.

Legacy

In 2009, the West Seattle Bridge was named in Williams' honor.{{cite web|title=West Seattle Bridge to bear Jeanette Williams' name |url=http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2009466038_webbridge14.html |publisher=The Seattle Times |accessdate=18 February 2015 |date=July 13, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219031817/http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2009466038_webbridge14.html |archivedate=19 February 2015 }} In 2003, the Jeanette Williams Award was created as part of the 2003 Seattle Women’s Summit to recognize an individual who demonstrates significant leadership and service in advancing the cause of women in Seattle.{{cite web|title=2012 Jeanette Williams Award and Paid Sick and Safe Leave|date=November 2012 |url=http://council.seattle.gov/2012/11/01/2012-jeanette-williams-award-and-paid-sick-and-safe-leave/|publisher=Seattle City Council|accessdate=18 February 2015}} The award is granted on an annual basis and as of 2014 has expanded to include awards for an individual, organization, and business.{{cite web|title=Seattle Women's Commission Announces Recipients of 2014 Jeanette Williams Awards and Civil Rights Champion Awards|url=http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/SeattleWomensCommission/SWC_PressReleaseJeanetteWilliamsAwardAnnouncement9-19-14Final.pdf|publisher=Seattle Women's Commission|accessdate=18 February 2015}}

References

External links

[http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9087 Biography at HistoryLink.org]
[http://www.seattle.gov/seattle-womens-commission Seattle Women's Commission]

{{succession box | before = | title = Seattle City Council Member | years = 1969–1989 | after = Cheryl Chow}}

Category:1914 births

Category:2008 deaths

Category:Seattle City Council members

Category:University of Washington alumni

Category:American feminists

Category:American human rights activists

Category:American women human rights activists

Category:Cornish College of the Arts alumni

Category:American Conservatory of Music alumni

Category:American people of Russian descent

Category:Women city councillors in Washington (state)