Antonina P. Uccello (born May 19, 1922) is an American politician, born in Hartford, Connecticut, to parents who had emigrated from

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

Political career

When she was elected the mayor of Hartford, in 1967, she became also the first woman

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

. At the time, Uccello was an executive in the Hartford department store G. Fox & Co. She approached her boss in 1963 and said she would like to run for the Hartford city council. Since the council met on Mondays, a day the department store was closed, her boss gave her permission to run. She served two terms on the council before being elected mayor in 1967. She ran as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

in a mainly Democratic Party city, and remains the city's last Republican mayor to date. She was re-elected as mayor in 1969, and was subsequently asked by President

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

to go to Washington to work in the

U.S. Department of Transportation The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and ...

, where she later also worked during the successive administrations of presidents Gerald Ford and

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

Honours

She was inducted into the

Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame The Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame (CWHF) recognizes women natives or residents of the U.S. state of Connecticut for their significant achievements or statewide contributions. The CWHF had its beginnings in 1993 when a group of volunteers partn ...

in 1999. Ann Street in Hartford was renamed in her honor in September 2008. Another street, in Canicattini Bagni, Italy, was named after her in July 2016. She turned 100 in May 2022.

References

Women mayors of places in Connecticut Politicians from Hartford, Connecticut Mayors of Hartford, Connecticut Connecticut Republicans 1922 births Living people Nixon administration personnel Ford administration personnel Carter administration personnel United States Department of Transportation officials Connecticut city council members Women city councillors in Connecticut 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians American centenarians Women centenarians {{Connecticut-mayor-stub