Dorothy H. Wilken (born 1936) is an American

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

and former clerk of courts. Wilken was a major proponent for the

annexation Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held t ...

of the community of University Park into the larger city of

Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton ( ; ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 97,422 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and it ranked as the 23rd-largest city in Florida in 2022. Many people with a Boca Raton Address, ...

, during the early 1970s. She later served as the first female Mayor of Boca Raton and a

Palm Beach County Palm Beach County is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's third-most populous county after Miami-Dade County and Broward County and the 24th-most populous in the United States, wi ...

commissioner A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something). In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to incl ...

. Wilken was born in

Annville Township, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania Annville Township is a township (Pennsylvania), township and census-designated place in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 4,767 at the 2010 census. History Annville Township was divided into North Annville Towns ...

. In 1965, she moved to Boca Raton, Florida, to take a job with

Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. The university is a member of the State University System of Florida and has s ...

. She graduated from Emma Willard School, Troy NY and George Washington University Columbian College in Washington, DC and earned her MPA at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton FL. Wilken, a resident of the former town of University Park, Florida, during the early 1970s, was a strong proponent for the annexation of the smaller town into the city of Boca Raton. Residents of Boca Raton and University Park approved the merger in a

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

held on July 27, 1971. Wilken only the second woman to serve of the Boca Raton city council. Boca Raton city meeting minutes and the Boca Raton Historical Society indicate that another woman, Floy Mitchell, had previously served briefly on the council. In March 1976, the Boca Raton city council elected Wilken as the city's mayor. She was the first woman to serve as Mayor of Boca Raton. She served as Mayor from March 1976 to February 1977, and again, briefly, during April 1977 following the resignation of Mayor Dick Houpana, who resigned just one month into his second term. The city established park impact fees and purchased the South Inlet Beach during Wilken's tenure. She also founded the Citizens for Reasonable Growth. Dorothy Wilken was later elected as a

commissioner, first elected in 1982, and a clerk of courts in 1992, retiring in 2005.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilken, Dorothy County commissioners in Florida Mayors of Boca Raton, Florida Florida city council members Women city councillors in Florida Women mayors of places in Florida 1936 births Living people Politicians from Lebanon County, Pennsylvania 21st-century American women

See also

References