Carrie L. Hoyt (1866–1950) was the mayor of

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Anglo-Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland, Cali ...

, from January 20 to circa May 1947. She is notable for having been Berkeley's first female mayor. Hoyt was born Carrie Knoles in

Petersburg, Illinois Petersburg is a city in and the county seat of Menard County, Illinois, Menard County, Illinois, United States, on the bluffs and part of the floodplain overlooking the Sangamon River. It is part of the Springfield, Illinois Springfield, Illinois ...

, on October 24, 1866. Her father was a lawyer, newspaper publisher and Civil War veteran. In 1887, the Knoles family moved to San Diego County where her father was U.S. Commissioner for Southern California, prosecuting smuggling cases. She met, and in 1888, married, William Hoyt. They had four children. In 1909, the Hoyts moved to Berkeley. She was elected to the Berkeley City Council in 1923, the first year of the

city manager A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city in the council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief administ ...

form of government. After the city manager announced his intention to resign as of January 15, 1947, the Berkeley City Council chose Mayor

Fitch Robertson Fitch Robertson (February 12, 1896 – March 5, 1956) was Mayor of Berkeley, California, United States, from 1943 to 1947. He was born February 12, 1896, in Pueblo, Colorado. Robertson was a graduate of the Colorado School of Mines. He served ...

to replace him, which it did on January 20. As the vice mayor, 80-year-old Hoyt then assumed the office of mayor to finish out Robertson's term, thus becoming Berkeley's first female mayor. Hoyt died on March 25, 1950, at her home in Berkeley. Her son, Ralph E. Hoyt, became

Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. A ...

District Attorney and, later, a judge of the Superior Court.

References

* ''Berkeley Gazette'', March 25, 1950
"1946: THE LEAGUE FIGHTS FOR A NON-POLITICAL CITY MANAGER"
''The Voter'' (newsletter of the

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan American nonprofit political organization. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include Voter registration, registering voters, providing voter information, boosting voter turnout and adv ...

of Berkeley, Albany and Emeryville), December 2003-January 2004, page 3 20th-century mayors of places in California Mayors of Berkeley, California Women mayors of places in California 1866 births 1950 deaths People from Petersburg, Illinois {{California-mayor-stub