Minnette Frerichs Doderer (May 16, 1923 – August 12, 2005) was an American politician. She served in the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

from 1964 to 1969 and from 1981 to 2001 and in the

Iowa Senate The Iowa Senate is the upper house of the Iowa General Assembly. There are 50 seats in the Iowa Senate, representing 50 single-member districts across the Iowa, state of Iowa with populations of approximately 60,927 per constituency, . Each Senat ...

from 1969 to 1979.

Early life

Doderer was born on May 16, 1923, in Holland, Iowa. Her parents were John A. Frerichs and Sophie Frerichs (née Sherfield). The family moved to

Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 67,314, making it the List of cities in Iowa, eighth-most populous city in the st ...

, where Doderer attended East High School, graduating in 1941. She studied at Iowa State Teachers College and received a bachelor's of arts degree in economics from the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

in 1948. She married Fred H. Doderer, who would later become the mayor of

Iowa City Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. At the time of the 2020 census the population was 74,828, making it the state's fifth-most populous city. The Iowa City metropolitan area, which enc ...

, in 1944 and the couple had two children: Dennis and Kay Lynn.

Political career

Doderer first became involved in Democratic politics during the 1950s, when she served as the vice-chair of the Johnson County Democratic Central Committee between 1953 and 1958. She was elected to the

in a 1964 special election and served as a representative until 1968, including as house minority whip from 1967 to 1968. She was elected to the

between 1968 and 1978, serving as the first female president pro tempore of the senate from 1975 to 1076. She was re-elected to the House in 1981, a position that she held until she retired in 2000.

Later life

She died of colon cancer on August 12, 2005, in

Iowa City, Iowa Iowa City is the largest city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. At the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the population was 74,828, making it the state's List of cities in Iowa, fifth-most populous c ...

at age 82.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Doderer, Minnette 1923 births 2005 deaths People from Grundy County, Iowa Democratic Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives Democratic Party Iowa state senators Women state legislators in Iowa 20th-century American women politicians 21st-century American women politicians 20th-century members of the Iowa General Assembly