Bertha Knight Landes

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Bertha Knight Landes (October 19, 1868 – November 29, 1943) was the first woman to be mayor of a major American city. She led Seattle, Washington, from 1926 to 1928 and helped push for reform in city government.

Early life
Bertha was born in Ware, Massachusetts, and later lived in Worcester. She studied at Indiana University Bloomington, earning a degree in history and political science in 1891. After teaching, she married geologist Henry M. Landes in 1894. The couple moved to Seattle in 1895 when Henry joined the University of Washington as a professor.

Civic work before becoming mayor
In Seattle, Bertha joined and led several women’s groups and civic organizations. She helped grow the Washington State chapter of the League of Women Voters and led the Seattle Federation of Women’s Clubs. She played a key role in turning women’s clubs into a force for city improvement and public education.

Political career
Bertha Landes was elected to the Seattle City Council in 1922, becoming one of the first women to serve on the council. She became council president in 1924. That year she acted as mayor when the sitting mayor was away, and she fired the police chief over concerns about corruption—an act that showed her focus on cleaning up city government.

In 1926, Landes ran for mayor against the incumbent and won, campaigning for “municipal housekeeping.” As mayor, she supported the idea of the city owning utilities like Seattle City Light and improving public transportation. She worked to reduce illegal activities, improve city finances, and put qualified professionals in charge of city departments. One notable achievement from her administration is the Civic Auditorium, which later became part of the Seattle Opera House.

Landes sought a second term in 1928 but was defeated by Frank Edwards.

Later life and legacy
After leaving office, Landes remained active in national and regional women’s organizations. She served as moderator of Washington’s Conference of Congregational and Christian Churches and was elected national president of the Soroptimists, a professional women’s group. She wrote articles encouraging women to take part in politics and public life.

In the 1930s, she helped with sewing programs to aid unemployed women and children. Her husband Henry died in 1936. Landes continued traveling and public service but grew less active in politics. She moved to California in 1941 for health reasons and died in 1943 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her ashes are buried in Seattle.

Legacy
Seattle’s largest meeting room in City Hall is named after her. The tunnel boring machine used for the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement was nicknamed Bertha in her honor. Indiana University Bloomington has a wing named for her, recognizing her early influence in public life.