Mildred Towne Powell
{{Short description|American politician (1886–1977)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Mildred T. Powell
| image = Mildred Powell 1952.jpg
| office = Member of the Seattle City Council
| term_start = 1935
| term_end = May 10, 1955
| office1 = President of the Seattle City Council
| term_start1 = 1940
| term_end1 = 1941
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1886|2|9}}
| birth_place = New London, Connecticut, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1977|6|16|1886|2|9}}
| death_place = Seattle, Washington
| spouse = Francis Foster Powell
| education = Smith College (BA)
}}
Mildred Towne Powell (February 9, 1886 – June 16, 1977) was an American politician who served on the Seattle city council from 1935 until her resignation in 1955. She was an active member of the Moral Re-Armament movement until her death in 1977.
Biography
Powell was born on February 9, 1886, in New London, Connecticut.{{cite web |title=Mildred T. Powell photograph and ephemera collection, circa 1904-1952 |url=https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv73540 |publisher=Archive West |access-date=22 September 2024}} She attended Smith College where she earned her bachelor's degree in 1908, and became a teacher. In 1910, she married her husband, Francis Foster Powell, moved to Montana, and resettled again in 1923 to Seattle.
She was actively involved in the local community, becoming president of the Seattle Parent Teacher Association.{{cite web |title=Pioneers in City Government |url=https://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/exhibits-and-education/online-exhibits/women-in-city-government/pioneers-in-city-government |publisher=Seattle Municipal Archives |access-date=22 September 2024}}
Seattle city council
After her husband died in 1934, she was encouraged by city leaders, including Bertha Knight Landes, to run for Seattle City Council. She said, "The idea (of running for the City Council in a city whose politics was dominated by men) sounded preposterous, but, as I say, I had to do something.{{cite news |last1=Suffia |first1=David |title=Mrs. Powell and Mrs. Edwards served City Council well and graciously |url=https://seattletimes.newsbank.com/doc/image/v2%3A127D718D1E33F961%40NGPA-WAST-12DE5C399DB309A8%402442509-12DD736259F7BB2F%4012-12DD736259F7BB2F%40?search_terms=Moral%2BRe-Armament%2BMildred&text=Moral%20Re-Armament%20Mildred&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=127D718D1E33F961&pdate=1975-04-06 |url-access=subscription |access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Daily Times |agency=newsbank.com |date=April 6, 1975}} Powell was elected to city council on March 12, 1935, in a top-three general election, coming in third behind Frederick Hamley and Arthur B. Langlie.{{cite web |title=General and Special Elections |url=https://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/seattle-facts/historical-election-results#19301939historicelectionresults |publisher=Seattle Municipal Archive |access-date=22 September 2024}} She ran as Mrs. F. F. Powell in honor of her husband, and was referred that way throughout her first term.{{cite news |title=Council Split On Track Cost |url=https://content.libraries.wsu.edu/digital/collection/clipping/id/165539 |access-date=22 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Daily Times |publisher=Washington State University |date=May 20, 1937}}{{cite news |title=Council Acts to avert City Light crisis |url=https://content.libraries.wsu.edu/digital/collection/clipping/id/158425 |access-date=22 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Post-Intelligencer |publisher=Washington State University |date=September 21, 1937}}
Powell served for 20 years, winning reelection six times, and was council president from 1940 to 1941.{{cite web |title=End of the Ward System and Start of Non-Partisan Elections |url=https://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/seattle-facts/city-officials/city-council-members/city-council-1910-1946 |publisher=Seattle Municipal Archive |access-date=22 September 2024}} In 1950, Powell unsuccessfully ran for Congress in Washington's 1st congressional district.
Powell was an active member of the Moral Re-Armament (MRA) movement, an organization that supported world peace and unity and strongly opposed Communism, throughout her political career.{{cite news |title=Moral Re-Armament |url=http://mdhistory.msa.maryland.gov/msa_sc2970/scm7365/pdf/msa_sc2970_scm7365-0186.pdf |access-date=22 September 2024 |work=Cecil County Star |publisher=Maryland State Archives |date=November 30, 1939}} She described the MRA movement as aiming to "restore God to leadership as the directing force in the lives of men and of nations."
Powell was invited to join a peacemaking journey to 28 countries in Asia and the Middle East sponsored by the group Moral Re-Armament. She resigned on May 10, 1955, and Myrtle Edwards was appointed to fill the seat, which Powell supported.{{cite web |title=1946-2015 |url=https://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/seattle-facts/city-officials/city-council-members/city-council-1946-2015 |publisher=Seattle Municipal Archive |access-date=22 September 2024}} She continued to speak and advocate for MRA until she died in 1977.{{cite web |title=Visual Materials from the Moral Re-armament Records |url=https://findingaids.loc.gov/exist_collections/ead3pdf/pnp/2022/pp022003.pdf |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=22 September 2024}}
Personal life
Powell was active in many civic and religious organizations, including as vice president of the Seattle Council of Churches and on the boards of directors of Goodwill Industries and Camp Fire Girls.{{cite news |title=Mildred Powell services planned |url=https://seattletimes.newsbank.com/doc/image/v2%3A127D718D1E33F961%40NGPA-WAST-12E447D4B51F098A%402443312-12E3AA0F6EDF46FF%4057-12E3AA0F6EDF46FF%40?search_terms=Moral%2BRe-Armament%2Bpowell&text=Moral%20Re-Armament%20powell&content_added=&date_from=&date_to=&pub%255B0%255D=127D718D1E33F961&page=2&pdate=1977-06-17|url-access=subscription |access-date=29 September 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |agency=newsbank.com |date=June 17, 1977}} She died on June 16, 1977 and was survived by three sons.
References
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Category:20th-century American women politicians
Category:20th-century Washington (state) politicians
Category:Seattle City Council members