Connie McCready

Constance "Connie" McCready (born Constance Averill, August 20, 1921 – December 22, 2000), was a journalist and politician from Portland, Oregon, in the United States. She held several elected offices in Oregon during her career, including the Oregon House of Representatives, the Portland City Council, and culminating with a partial term as Portland's mayor. To date, McCready remains the last Republican to serve as mayor of the city.

Connie McCready
46th Mayor of Portland, Oregon
In office September 5, 1979 – November 24, 1980
Preceded by	Neil Goldschmidt
Succeeded by	Frank Ivancie
Portland City Council - Commissioner
In office March 19, 1970 – September 5, 1979
Preceded by	Stanley W. Earl
Succeeded by	Mike Lindberg
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
In office 1967–1969
Personal details
Born	August 20, 1921 Pendleton, Oregon[1]
Died	December 22, 2000 (aged 79) Portland, Oregon
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Albert L. McCready
Profession	Journalist

Early life

She was born in Pendleton, Oregon on August 21, 1921, the daughter of conservationist Edgar Francis Averill.[1] The family would move to Portland and she graduated from Grant High School.[1] McCready graduated from the University of Oregon in 1943. After college she worked as a reporter for The Oregonian, Portland's main daily newspaper, later becoming the Home and Garden editor for the paper. In 1945, she married Albert L. McCready and the two would have three daughters.[1]

Politics

In 1967 and 1969, she served in the Oregon House of Representatives as a Republican representing Portland.[2]

McCready was appointed to the Portland City Council in 1970, to fill a vacancy caused by the death of commissioner Stanley W. Earl,[3] and was sworn in on March 19, 1970.[4] She proceeded to serve as a commissioner (city council member) until 1979, being elected in 1972 and re-elected in 1976.

In 1979, by a vote of her fellow city commissioners, McCready was appointed to the position of mayor of Portland upon Neil Goldschmidt's resignation to become United States Secretary of Transportation in the Carter Administration. She assumed office as mayor on September 5, 1979.[5] She was the second of three women to hold the post. McCready was mayor during the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens when Portland was blanketed by ash on three occasions, and eventually threatened businesses with fines if they failed to remove the ash from their parking lots.[6] She was defeated in the May 1980 primary by Frank Ivancie, whose succession to the office took effect on November 24,[7] at which point McCready retired from politics.[8]

A Republican, she was noted for her maverick political views which often deviated from the party line, including staunch support of the Equal Rights Amendment and gay rights.

McCready died in 2000 of complications from a stroke.[9]

References

1. Heinz, Spencer. Ex-mayor Connie McCready dies. The Oregonian, December 23, 2000
2. "Oregon Legislative Assembly (54th) 1967 Regular Session". Oregon State Archives. August 21, 2007.
3. "McCready Gets Official Nod". The Oregonian. March 12, 1970. Section 2, p. 17.
4. "Woman Gets Fire Duties; McCready Joins Council". The Oregonian. March 20, 1970. Section 1, p. 22.
5. Jenning, Steve (September 6, 1979). "Mayor McCready takes office". The Oregonian. p. 1.
6. Painter, John Jr. The 1980s. The Oregonian, December 31, 1989.
7. Williams, Linda (November 23, 1980). "McCready proud of record, goals met". The Sunday Oregonian. p. B5.
8. "Women's History Month Blog: Connie McCready". portlandonline.com (City of Portland). March 20, 2007.
9. Flash: In memoriam Archived August 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, University of Oregon: Volume 16, No. 3, Spring/Summer 2001