Mayor Janet Gray Hayes

Mayor Janet Gray Hayes. . Seventh graders from Quimby Oak Middle School's Lobo School of Innovation (LSI) pay tribute to Janet Gray Hayes, who shattered barriers by becoming the first woman elected mayor of San José in 1975., Janet Gray was born in Rushville, Indiana. She graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor's degree before obtaining her master's in social work from the University of Chicago. While her husband attended medical school in Chicago, she worked as a psychiatric social worker with the Jewish Family Service Agency. In 1956, they settled in San José, where her husband practiced medicine, and she became involved with her daughters' local PTA, the League of Women Voters, and the San Jose Redevelopment Agency., As an engaged and concerned mother, Janet Gray Hayes ventured into local politics and served on the City Council from 1971 to 1974. She also held the position of vice mayor in 1974 under Norman Mineta. Her successful mayoral campaign in 1975 not only made her the first female mayor of San José but also the first woman elected mayor of a large American city with a population over 500,000., Janet Gray Hayes's campaign revolved around the slogan, "Make San José better before we make it bigger," and she remained committed to that agenda during her tenure. She identified unchecked urban sprawl as a critical issue and developed smart growth plans, with a particular focus on downtown San José and the city's convention center. By 1979, the Brookings Institute named San José as the number-one city in the United States., LSI students were particularly impressed by Janet Gray Hayes as a role model for women in politics and as an advocate for equal rights. Her political career in the 1970s served as an inspiration for other women in the region to pursue elected positions and political representation. By the end of the decade, Newsweek hailed San José as the "Feminist Capital of the World." Moreover, she stood as an ally to San Jose's LGBTQ community, approving a resolution in 1978 to establish Gay Pride Week. Despite facing backlash from the city's conservative population during her re-election campaign, she got an overwhelming majority of the vote and won., LSI students firmly believe that Janet Gray Hayes's legacy lives on, stating, "Her time in office inspired countless women to pursue political dreams. To this day, women are continuing to make history [...including] Kamala Harris, our first female, black, and Asian- American vice president." ,
Artist Ramon Franco was also moved by Janet Gray Hayes's work and legacy: "I was captivated by how many things she and my family had in common. Her portrait is surrounded by peonies. This particular flower is the state flower of Indiana where she was born and where I spent part of my childhood. It enchanted me that she was ahead of her time...and motivated other women, like my mother and sister, to follow their dreams and imagine a new tomorrow.", Project Partner: Lobo School of Innovation. Project supported by: City of San Jose, Capital of Silicon Valley. Student Contributors Naveen Gahir, Class of 2023 Truc Lai, Class of 2023, Naliah Lomax, Class of 2023, Elaine Tran, Class of 2023. Project Leads: Chris Rivas, Lobo School of Innovation. Kyle Trinidade, Lobo School of Innovation. Monica Pelayo Lock, History San José.