In 1974 Janet Gray Hayes became mayor of San Jose, California and the first female elected to the office of mayor of a large American city. She was overwhelmingly reelected to a second term, and served as mayor until 1982. Prior to her groundbreaking election in 1974, she won a seat on the San Jose City Council and also served as vice mayor. This collection documents her political trajectory from 1974-1982. During her tenure as mayor she focused on urban development issues and smart growth planning, and was very responsive to increased citizen access to the mayor's office. Hayes became an important role model for women in politics, her success in government represented a watershed for politically minded women in the region, and the Santa Clara Valley became know as the "Feminist Capital of the World." This collection consists of election materials, personal files, and public relations materials, most of which were amassed while Hayes served as city council member, vice mayor, and mayor of San Jose.

Janet Gray (Frazee) Hayes was born in 1926 in Rushville, Indiana, the second of two daughters born to John P. Frazee, Jr. and Lucile Charman Gray Frazee. Raised in an active Republican family, Hayes was introduced to politics at a young age. In 1940 the Frazee family home became an official campaign base for Wendell Wilkie, the Republican presidential nominee. Wilkie carried his home state of Indiana, but was overwhelmingly defeated by the Democratic candidate, President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Wilkie experience introduced Hayes to the political campaign process.

8.5 Linear Feet

Copyright has not been assigned to the San Jose State University Library Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader. Copyright restrictions also apply to digital reproductions of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

The collection is open for research.