Delila (Richards) Abbott

Delila M. "Dee" Richards Abbott (November 4, 1908 – December 1, 1998) was an American housewife, businesswoman, and politician. Throughout her life she was active in both the local and national political scene and her accomplishments range from writing fiction novels[1] to serving on the Defense Advisory Committee for Women.[2] Abbott worked to bring more women into the public sphere, saying that "Women are a neglected resource. They are not sufficiently recognized and their full potential is not often developed".[3]

Delila (Richards) Abbott
Born
Delia Richards

(1908-11-04)November 4, 1908
West Jordan, Utah
DiedDecember 1, 1998(1998-12-01) (aged 90)
Salt Lake City, Utah
NationalityAmerican
OccupationPolitician
Spouse(s)Floyd A. Abbott
Children1
Academic background
Academic work
InstitutionsLDS Business College

Early life

Delila M. Richards was born on November 4, 1908, to John C. Richards and Clara Bacon in West Jordan, Utah.[4] John was a carpenter,[5] and he and Clara were both natives of West Jordan.[6] Delila graduated from Jordan High School and went on to attend LDS Business College in Salt Lake City, Utah. On June 25, 1930, she married Floyd A. Abbott, also a life-time resident of West Jordan.[4] The young couple initially moved to Spokane, Washington, but were forced back to Utah with the onset of the Great Depression. Floyd graduated from the University of Utah in 1928, worked as a pharmacist, and later joined the U. S. Army during World War II.[7] Five months after Floyd's departure, Delila gave birth to their son Richard Abbott.[3]

Political career

Abbott began her political career in the late 1940s as a watcher at the polls and a member of the Salt Lake County Republican Central Committee.[3] In 1954, she was elected as the Republican Party County Vice Chairman (a position she would hold for the next six years), but also became involved at the state level. She served as the Supervisory Clerk for the Utah Senate in 1955 (and again in 1959)[8] and the same year was invited to attend the Republican Women's National Conference in Washington, D.C., as the Utah State Conference chairman.[9] In 1957, she was elected to the Utah House of Representatives.[10] Though she served for only one year, as a representative she acted as chair of both the Patronage and Rules Committees and was a member of several others.[3]

Over the next 20 years, Abbott held and/or campaigned for numerous other local and state offices and organizational positions, some of which include:

  • Republican Party Western Conference Representative (1958)[11]
  • Candidate for Salt Lake County Clerk (1958)[3]
  • Census Crew Leader (1961)[12]
  • Vice President of the Salt Lake City Women's Republican Club (1961–62)
  • Committee Member of the National Council of Women of the United States (1963)[13]
  • Committee Member of the International Council of Women (1963)[13]
  • President of the Utah Order of Women Legislators (1976)[14]

Of these offices, Abbott was the most influential during a three-year appointment as a member of the United States Defense Department's Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services beginning in 1960.[15] The purpose of the committee was to advise the U.S. Defense Department on policies in regards to women in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.[2] The committee itself was considered the "top echelon" of women's civilian advisory committees, and its agenda and the identities of those making the appointments was kept a complete secret.[16] As a member of the committee and the chairman of the organization sub-committee, Abbott promoted many policy changes to assist the U.S. military in utilizing its women more effectively. Her achievements were many as committee chairman, but she became popular in Utah for "bucking" regulation and fighting to allow servicewomen to wear more comfortable and stylish clothing—in particular, their skirts.[16]

References
  1. Budge, Rose Mary Pedersen (1 February 1982). "Novel Chronicles Utah Growth". The Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah. pp. C4. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  2. "Defense Adviser Committee Selects Holladay Resident". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. 17 January 1960. p. 10. Retrieved May 3, 2016 – via newspapers.com.
  3. Abbott, Delila M. (1993). Women Legislators of Utah 1896–1993. Salt Lake City, Utah: Governor's Commission for Women and Families. p. 2.
  4. "Obituary: Delila (Dee) Richards Abbott". The Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah. 2 December 1998. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  5. "Bingham Junction Items". The Salt Lake Herald. Salt Lake City, Utah. 26 Nov 1907. p. 8. Retrieved May 3, 2016 – via newspapers.com.
  6. "Marriage Licenses". The Salt Lake Herald. Salt Lake City, Utah. 2 Nov 1907. p. 4. Retrieved May 3, 2016 – via newspapers.com.
  7. "Obituary: Floyd A. Abbott". The Salt Lake Tribune. 28 April 1993.
  8. "S.L. Woman in Race for House Chair". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. 16 April 1960. Retrieved May 3, 2016 – via newspapers.com.
  9. "GOP Women of Utah to Attend National Meet". The Daily Herald. Provo, Utah. 19 April 1955. p. 9. Retrieved May 3, 2016.
  10. Historical Listing of Utah State Legislators
  11. "Honolulu Parley Calls 6 Utahns". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. 1 December 1958. p. 57. Retrieved May 3, 2016 – via newspapers.com.
  12. "Utah GOP Creates 2 New Committees". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. 5 August 1961. p. 18. Retrieved May 3, 2016 – via newspapers.com.
  13. "Salt Laker Named to National Council". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. 18 April 1963. p. 42. Retrieved May 3, 2016 – via newspapers.com.
  14. "Names of Woman Ready for Court". The Ogden-Standard Examiner. Ogden, Utah. 20 December 1976. p. 15. Retrieved May 3, 2016 – via newspapers.com.
  15. "S.L. Woman on National Committee". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. 28 April 1960. p. 48. Retrieved May 3, 2016 – via newspapers.com.
  16. "Dee Abbott Serves for Service Women". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. 7 June 1962. p. 41. Retrieved May 3, 2016 – via newspapers.com.
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