Eunice Noda Sato (June 8, 1921 – February 12, 2021) was an American politician. She served as mayor of

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

from 1980 to 1982. As such she was the first Asian-American female mayor of a major American city, as well as the first female mayor of Long Beach.

Life and career

Sato was the daughter of Japanese parents Bunsaku and Sawa Maeda Noda. She attended Modesto Junior College, the

University of Northern Colorado The University of Northern Colorado (UNCO or UNC) is a public university in Greeley, Colorado, United States. It was founded in 1889 as the State Normal School of Colorado and has a long history in teacher education. The institution has offi ...

, and

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, and became a teacher. She taught in

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

and overseas in

Yokohama is the List of cities in Japan, second-largest city in Japan by population as well as by area, and the country's most populous Municipalities of Japan, municipality. It is the capital and most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a popu ...

, Japan. In 1950, she married Thomas Takahashi Sato. She moved to Long Beach in 1956. She was elected to the Long Beach City Council in 1975 and served until 1986. In 1991 she was appointed to the U.S. National Advisory Council on Educational Research by

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

. In September 2014, the former Hill Middle School, near the campus of

California State University, Long Beach California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), also known in athletics as Long Beach State University (LBSU), is a public teaching-focused institution in Long Beach, California, United States. The 322-acre campus is the second largest in the ...

was named in her honor, as Sato Academy of Mathematics and Science. Sato died at her home in Long Beach on February 12, 2021, aged 99.

References

1921 births 2021 deaths 20th-century mayors of places in California American educators of Japanese descent American mayors of Japanese descent American women of Japanese descent in politics California politicians of Japanese descent Columbia University alumni Women city councillors in California City council members of Asian descent Mayors of Long Beach, California People from Merced County, California Women mayors of places in California University of Northern Colorado alumni California Republicans 21st-century American women Asian conservatism in the United States {{California-mayor-stub

Life and career

See also

References