May Tower Bigelow

Last updated

May Tower Bigelow (April 13, 1866 - October 28, 1935) was an artist, lawyer, physician and state legislator serving in the Colorado House of Representatives 1919 session.

Contents

Biography

She was born April 13, 1866, in St. Charles, Minnesota. [1] [2] She studied at Nebraska State University and Radcliffe College. [3]

After her education she started teaching, then progressed to be a mathematics instructor at the Nebraska State Normal College, now the University of Nebraska at Kearney. [4] She then went on to study law and pass the Nebraska bar. [4]

She was an artist and made illustrations for a medical publication. [2] [5]

She married Charles Wesley Bigelow an educator and banker, [6] [4] on May 16, 1891, [1] and they had four children together and moved to Denver. [2]

Both her and her husband then went to Harvard University for postgraduate work, before going to Europe to study first in England then on to study medicine in the University of Munich in Germany. [2] [4] They returned to Colorado and she completed her study at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and obtained her doctor of medicine degree in June 1915. [4]

Political career

She was one of two women to run to serve in the Colorado House of Representatives in 1918 on the Republican ticket along with Mabel Ruth Baker. [7] [8] Both Bigelow and Baker won seats in the house for the session starting on January 1, 1919, with another woman Agnes Riddle serving in the state senate in the same session. [9] [10] She was a Republican and represented the Denver district in the house. [2] In a special session of the legislature held on December 8, 1919, a resolution put forth by these three women legislators sought to ratify the Federal Suffrage Amendment that would then go on to be the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. [11]

In 1920 she also ran in the Republican Primary for the office of Superintendent of Public Instruction but lost to Katherine L. Craig who received 67.7% of the vote. [12]

Her final attempt at political office was to run for Mayor of Denver in 1927 but she was unsuccessful. [13] [14]

Murder accusation and death

When not pursuing politics she ran a medical practice [13] and run health clinics. [15] [16]

In May 1935 she was accused of doing an illegal operation that resulted in the death of Ella Lea Moynahan the young wife of legislator James Moynahan from the 29th general assembly. [6] [4]

Bigelow died October 28, 1935, from a blood clot on the brain, she was survived by her husband and three of her children. [17] Her husband blamed the continued worry over the unresolved murder changes for quickening her death, a charge that Bigelow had strongly denied. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Schaffer</span> American politician (born 1962)

Robert Warren Schaffer is an American businessman and a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from the State of Colorado in the 105th Congress and the two succeeding Congresses. Schaffer was co-chairman of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, and an outspoken leader in promoting American interests and human rights in Eastern Europe.

Angela Veronica "Angie" Paccione is an American politician and former Colorado legislator who was a 2006 Congressional candidate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Marostica</span> American politician (born 1948)

Don Marostica is a real estate developer and former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado, currently serving as director of the state's Office of Economic Development and International Trade.

Randy Fischer is a former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. An engineering consultant with a background in natural resources, Fischer was first elected as a Democrat in 2006 to the Colorado House of Representatives, Fischer represented House District 53, which encompasses the western half of Fort Collins, Colorado. In the legislature, Fischer sponsored legislation relating to uranium mining and also focused on water and environmental issues. In the house, he served for a time as Deputy Majority Whip and chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources committees. Term limited, he did not seek re-election in 2014, and his term ended in early January, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Kefalas</span> American politician (born 1954)

John Michael Kefalas is a politician in the U.S. state of Colorado. An educator and lobbyist before first running for the legislature in 2004, Kefalas defeated a Republican incumbent to win election to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2006. Kefalas won election to the State Senate in 2012 and represented Senate District 14 until early 2019. In 2018, Kefalas ran for and won a seat on the Larimer County Board of County Commissioners. He resigned his Senate seat, and a vacancy committee nominated Joann Ginal to replace him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Brophy</span> American politician

Greg Brophy is an American politician who served in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 63rd district from 2003 to 2005, and in the Colorado Senate from the 1st district from 2005 to 2015, as a member of the Republican Party.

Debbie Stafford is a Colorado legislator. First appointed to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2000, Stafford was elected four times to represent House District 40, which encompasses Elbert County and rural Arapahoe County east of Aurora, Colorado. Noted for her work on animal welfare and children's issues, Stafford left the Republican caucus and joined the Democratic Party in October 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gail Schwartz</span> American politician

Gail Sheridan Schwartz is a former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. Elected to the Colorado State Senate as a Democrat in 2006, Schwartz represented Senate District 5, which covers a large section of south-central Colorado, ranging from Aspen, and Delta, Colorado through the San Luis Valley to the New Mexico border. Schwartz left office in 2015 after serving two terms and unsuccessfully ran for the United States House of Representatives in Colorado's 3rd congressional district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Su Ryden</span> American politician

Susan "Su" Ryden is a former legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Democrat in 2008, Ryden represented House District 36, which encompasses eastern Aurora, Colorado. Term limited, she did not run for re-election to the State House in the 2016 election. However, she ran for State Senate in District 29 but lost in the Democratic primary to Rhonda Fields. Her term in the State House ended in January, 2017. She currently serves as Public Trustee of Arapahoe County, Colorado, having been appointed by Gov. John Hickenlooper in 2017 and re-appointed by Gov. Jared Polis in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evie Hudak</span> American politician

Evie Hudak is an American politician who served in the Colorado Senate from the 19th district as a member of the Democratic Party from 2009 to 2013. Prior to her tenure in the state senate she served on the Colorado State Board of Education from the 2nd congressional district from 2001 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucía Guzmán</span> American politician

Lucía Guzmán is an American minister and politician who served in the Colorado Senate from the 34th district as a member of the Democratic Party from 2010 to 2019. Prior to her tenure in the state senate she served on the school board in Denver and led the Colorado Council of Churches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joann Ginal</span> American politician

Joann Ginal is an American politician who serves in the Colorado Senate from the 14th district since 2019, as a member of the Democratic Party. Before her tenure in the state senate she served in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 52nd district from 2013 to 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vicki Marble</span> American politician

Vicki Marble is an American politician who served in the Colorado Senate from the 23rd district as a member of the Republican Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beth Martinez Humenik</span> American politician

Beth Martinez Humenik is a Republican politician in the U.S. state of Colorado. She served one term in the Colorado State Senate from 2015 until 2019, representing District 24, which includes parts of Adams County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cooke (Colorado politician)</span> American politician

John B. Cooke III is an American politician who served in the Colorado Senate from the 13th district as a member of the Republican Party. He also served as the Minority Leader in the state senate from May 2022 to January 2023. Prior to his tenure in the state legislature, he served as sheriff of Weld County, Colorado.

The 1920 Colorado Agricultural Aggies football team represented Colorado Agricultural College in the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) during the 1920 college football season. In their tenth season under head coach Harry W. Hughes, the Aggies compiled a 6–1–1 record, won the RMC championship, and outscored all opponents by a total of 152 to 14.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brianna Titone</span> American politician and scientist

Brianna Titone is an American politician and scientist, currently serving as a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 27th district. Titone serves in the 74th Colorado General Assembly and is the first openly transgender state legislator elected in Colorado and the 4th elected in the United States.

Mary Riggs Noble was an American physician, hospital administrator, public health educator, and state official. She also served as a Christian medical missionary in Ludhiana, India. She was the first recipient of the Elizabeth Blackwell Medal in 1949.

Kathleen Curry is an American politician who served in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 61st district from 2005 to 2011, as a member of the Democratic and independent. She was appointed to serve as Speaker Pro-tempore by Speaker Terrance Carroll before leaving the Democratic Party in 2009.

Mae Carroll Fry was an American politician and schoolteacher. She was married to John Henry Fry in 1908. She was a Republican in Denver and served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1927 to 1928. She was nominated to run again for the next session but failed to get elected with 3.4% of the vote.

References

  1. 1 2 Downs, Winfield Scott (1934). "Encyclopedia of American Biography: New Series".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Stone, Wilbur Fiske (1918). "History of Colorado".
  3. ↑ "The Harvard University Catalogue". 1901. pp. 185–187.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Murder Is Charge To Mrs Biglow (part 2)". The Daily Sentinel. 24 May 1935. p. 11. Retrieved 3 September 2022. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  5. ↑ "Annals of Ophthalmology". 1917.
  6. 1 2 "Murder Is Charge To Mrs Biglow (part 1)". The Daily Sentinel. 24 May 1935. p. 1. Retrieved 3 September 2022. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  7. ↑ "May T. Bigelow and Mabel Ruth Baker run for office". The Denver Star. 26 October 1918. p. 2. Retrieved 3 September 2022. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  8. ↑ "The Republican Ticket (Advert)". The Denver Star. 19 October 1918. p. 2. Retrieved 3 September 2022. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  9. ↑ "Cole Elected Speaker - The 1919 Legislature". The Elk Mountain Pilot. 9 January 1919. p. 2. Retrieved 3 September 2022. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  10. ↑ Stanton, Elizabeth Cady; Anthony, Susan B.; Gage, Matilda; Blatch, Harriot Stanton; Harper, Ida H. (9 March 2017). The Suffragettes – Complete History of the Movement (6 Volumes in One Edition): The Battle for the Equal Rights: 1848-1922 (Including Letters, Newspaper Articles, Conference Reports, Speeches, Court Transcripts & Decisions). E-artnow. ISBN   9788026874768.
  11. ↑ The Project Gutenberg eBook of The History of Woman Suffrage, Volume VI, by Ida Husted Harper. pp. 65–66. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  12. ↑ "State of Colorado Elections Database » Candidate: May T. Bigelow". State of Colorado Elections Database. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  13. 1 2 "Two Women Get Into Race for Denver Mayor". Fort Collins Coloradoan. 5 April 1927. p. 7. Retrieved 3 September 2022. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  14. ↑ "Dr. May Bigelow Of Denver Dies". Fort Collins Coloradoan. 28 October 1935. p. 1. Retrieved 3 September 2022. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  15. ↑ "Health Clinic Held". Fort Collins Coloradoan. 16 September 1926. p. 2. Retrieved 3 September 2022. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  16. ↑ "Health clinic". The Daily Sentinel. 15 September 1926. p. 5. Retrieved 3 September 2022. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  17. 1 2 "Noted Denver Woman Passed Away Today: Dr. May Tower Bigelow". The Daily Sentinel. 28 October 1935. p. 8. Retrieved 3 September 2022. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.