Carolyn Campbell Pendray

CAMPBELL, PENDRAY

Posted By: Anne Hermann (email)
Date: 4/7/2010 at 11:59:29

Jackson Sentinel
Feb. 3, 1942

Carolyn Campbell Pendray moved to Maquoketa with her husband, William James Pendray, in 1923; he was in the merchandising business. They were married in 1920 when Carolyn was 39 years old. She was born in 1881 at Mt. Pleasant to Thomas and Harriet Dutton Campbell. Her father served Iowa as a state representative from Henry County. She was educated in Mt. Pleasant and attended Iowa Wesleyan College. She was a teacher and after 12 years became the County Superintendent of Schools for Henry County from 1913 – 1920. She also taught elementary education classes during three summers at her alma mater, Iowa Wesleyan.

Mrs. Pendray was an active worker in the Democratic Party and chairwoman of the Second Congressional District and a member of the Jackson County Central Committee.

Two years after women were eligible to sit in Iowa’s legislature, she was elected to the Forty-Third general Assembly; this was 1927 and she was 46 years old. She was re-elected for another term in the Forty-fourth General Assembly, and then was elected to the State Senate, upsetting the incumbent. Her colleagues came to recognize her superior manner, which was mentioned in the press by reporters, and thus was the first woman to preside over the Iowa senate. While in the senate she sponsored two bills of great importance to women. One gave women the legal right to own property; the second made it legal for women to be “heads of households”.

The local newspaper had this to say about her in 1928:

“Mrs. Pendray has contributed liberally to the social, religious and educational welfare of our city, county and state, is familiar with the public needs and be it known that she will make no move if elected to thwart any movement for public good.”

At the time of her election the press said:

“Yes and just to know that Jackson County, normally Republican, had sent the first woman legislator and a Democrat at that, to Des Moines to fight for the common good. To Mrs. Pendray, this is just deemed a signal honor and to Jackson County it is a complement to voters who are willing to forego party lines. We hasten to congratulate Mrs. Pendray in her attainment and we are just ‘as sure as shootin’ that she will do her level best to give Jackson County real representation and prove to her supporters that their confidence was in no way misplaced”.

Mrs. Pendray was a member of P. E. O., Daughters of the American Revolution, Business and Professional women’s league, and Outlook Club. She was a member of the Congregational Church, and was a Sunday School teacher for a number of years. [Phyllis Nissen remembers having her as a S. S. teacher.} She still resided in Maquoketa in 1942, and was the Production Chairperson for the Red Cross.

--NOTICE TO RED CROSS KNITTERS—

“For those who need assistance in knitting, the Red Cross shop will be open each Thursday afternoon from 2 to 5 o’clock until further notice. Tuesday will continue to be regular shop day.”

Carolyn C. Pendray
Production Chairman
Feb. 3, 1942
Maquoketa Community Press

She later returned to Mount Pleasant where she died in 1958 at 70 years of age. She was inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of fame in 1978, in this she upheld her tradition too – first woman to be honored!

Many thanks and good wishes.
Sincerely
Carolyn C. Pendray

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