Wyoming


Nellie Tayloe Ross
(1876 - 1977)


Nellie Tayloe was born in 1876 in Missouri.  In 1902, she married William Bradford Ross and the couple settled in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  In 1922, her husband was elected Governor of Wyoming. However, William Ross died suddenly, on October 3, 1924, and Nellie was elected to finish out his term, winning the election by more than 8,000 votes.  While Governor, she advocated tax fairness, improved workplace safety regulations to protect coal miners, and ratification of the Child Labor Amendment to the United States Constitution. 

In 1933, Ross was appointed Director of the U.S. Mint by President Roosevelt, becoming the first woman to hold that position. As such, Ross became the first woman to have her likeness imprinted on a mint metal and inscribed on the cornerstone of a government building; three such structures were constructed during her tenure, the gold depository at Fort Knox, the silver depository at West Point and the U.S. Mint in San Francisco. During her twenty year tenure as director Ross presided over the greatest expansion in mint production.

Wyoming is known as the "Equality State" because of the rights women have traditionally enjoyed here. Wyoming women were the first in the nation to vote, serve on juries and hold public office.   

For more information on Nellie, you can visit the following website:

bullethttp://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/AHC/citizen/ross.htm
bullet http://harlingen.intelemart.com/cfdocs/template/texas/viewtemplate.cfm?AREACODE=International&COMPANYID=560&PASSWORD=NO
 

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