Minnie Geis

Minnie Geis. History Making Candidate. , In 1913, the Alaska Territorial Legislature gave women the right to vote. A few months later, the ladies of Fairbanks gathered in the district courtroom and decided to nominate two women from the group to run for the clerk seat on the local school board. This was the first time in the history of the Tanana Valley that any woman would run for public office. At first it was hard to get any woman to agree to run, but finally two candidates were chosen at the meeting. They were Minnie Geis and Serena Zimmerman, here is the result of that election:, "The ballots have all been counted, and Mrs. J. F. Zimmerman has been chosen as clerk of the school board for the ensuing three years. The campaign for the clerkship of the board was a very warm one, especially among the women, and the total vote was only twelve less than that cast at the municipal election. Of this number, Mrs. Zimmerman received 485, and Mrs. R. J. Geis 360, while seven ballots were thrown out for disfiguration. All day long voters crowded into the city hall, but as the distribution of the ballots and the recording of the votes was much simpler than at the municipal election, there was not delay of any kind." , Fairbanks Daily Times- April 9, 1914, Even though Minnie did not win the election, she is still remembered for being in the first election that had female candidates here in Fairbanks. Many of her descendants still live here today., [Photo caption reads] , Minnie Gels with her children, Charles and Charlotte, Story provided by the Fairbanks Igloos of the Pioneers of Alaska..