Edwynne Cutler "Polly" Rosenbaum (September 4, 1899 – December 28, 2003) was a teacher and politician who was

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

's longest-serving state legislator, representing

Gila County Gila County ( ) is a county in the central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53,272. The county seat is Globe. Gila County comprises the Payson, Arizona micropolitan statistical area which is incl ...

in the

Arizona House of Representatives The Arizona House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. The upper house is the Arizona Senate, Senate. The House convenes in the le ...

for 46 years.Edwynne "Polly" Rosenbaum (b. 1899, d. 2003)
Arizona Women's Heritage Trail website, accessed October 26, 2010House Concurrent Resolution 2042, A Concurrent Resolution on the Death of the Honorable Edwynne C. "Polly" Rosenbaum
State of Arizona House of Representatives Forty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session, 2004

Life and career before entering the state legislature

Polly Rosenbaum was born Edwynne Cutler in

Ollie Ollie is a given name and a nickname, often as a shortened form of Oliver (given name), Oliver, Olive (given name), Olive, Olympia, Olga (name), Olga or Olivia (given name), Olivia. Variants include Olie, Oli, Oly (disambiguation), Oly and Olly (di ...

, Iowa, in 1899.
Arizona Mineral Resource
', No. 37, February 2004 She moved to

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

as a child and attended the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the University of Colorado Denver, and the U ...

, where she graduated in 1922 with a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

in history and political science. She taught school in Iowa, Colorado, and in

Lusk, Wyoming Lusk is a town in and the county seat of Niobrara County, Wyoming. It is located in the High Plains (United States), High Plains. The town was founded in July 1886, by Frank S. Lusk, a renowned Wyoming rancher, partner in the Western Live Stock ...

,Walter Mare
Local tribute paid to Arizona legend 'Polly' Rosenbaum
''Eastern Arizona Courier'', January 14, 2004 and undertook graduate study at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

, which awarded her a master's degree in education in 1929. In 1929 she moved to

Hayden, Arizona Hayden is a town in Gila and Pinal counties in Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town was 662. History Hayden was founded in 1909 and owned by the Kennecott Copper Corp. In 1912, the company built a ...

, a mining town, to take a teaching job. She supplemented her teacher's pay by working as a secretary for the Inspiration Consolidated Copper Company. Polly Cutler's secretarial work took her to the

Arizona State Capitol The Arizona Territorial - Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, was the last home for Arizona's territorial government until Arizona became a state in 1912. Initially, all three branches of the new state government occupied ...

in Phoenix, where she met Representative William "Rosey" Rosenbaum, whom she married in 1939. Rosey Rosenbaum, who represented Gila County, later became Speaker of the House.

Career in Arizona legislature

When her husband died unexpectedly in 1949 after 22 years in the legislature, Polly Rosenbaum was appointed to fill the remainder of her husband's term, taking office on January 12, 1949.Paul Davenport (Associated Press)
Longest serving Arizona Representative dies at age 104
''Today's News-Herald'' (Lake Havasu City, Arizona), December 30, 2003 When the legislative seat came up for election in 1950, Rosenbaum ran for the seat in her own right and won. A Democrat, she was to win a total of 22 elections to two-year terms. She retired from the legislature at the age of 95 after losing the November 1994 election to a political newcomer who benefited from

redistricting Redistricting in the United States is the process of drawing electoral district boundaries. For the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures, redistricting occurs after each ten-year census. The U.S. Constitution in Art ...

(which had resulted in her district including parts of eight

counties A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

) and an

anti-incumbency Anti-incumbency is sentiment in favor of voting out incumbent politicians, for the specific reason of being incumbent politicians. It is sometimes referred to as a "throw the bums out" sentiment. Periods of anti-incumbent sentiment are typically c ...

mood.Ann Rovin
Arizona Says So Long to an Institution; Polly Rosenbaum shaped state law for 22 terms. She lost this year's election, but nobody counts her out
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'', December 12, 1994 Several weeks after her election loss, former

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...

, an Arizona Republican, told the ''

'': "People in this state still can't believe she was defeated.... She's so damn good that everybody wanted to see her stay in the Legislature as long as she wanted—and I have a hunch that was where she planned to spend her life." As a legislator, Rosenbaum was particularly noted for her efforts on behalf of Arizona's rural areas and her support for education,

libraries A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

, museums, and

historic preservation Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK) is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...

. She was chairman of the House Administration Committee for 16 years and later was chairman of the House Education Committee. As Education Committee chairman, she is credited with passing legislation in 1964 to provide education for homebound children in Arizona.Polly Rosenbaum, 1899 – 2003. Inducted in 2006.
, Arizona Women's Hall of Fame website, accessed October 27, 2010 Rosenbaum was also noted for her commitment to the interests of women. She once said of Arizona's women: "The women really won the West, not the men. The women are the ones who got the libraries and worked for the schools." Although she voted against ratification of the

Equal Rights Amendment The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States, United States Constitution that would explicitly prohibit sex discrimination. It is not currently a part of the Constitution, though its Ratifi ...

to the

U.S. Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally including seven articles, the Constituti ...

, in 1968 she was one of a group of eight women members of the Arizona House who combed through the

Arizona Constitution The Constitution of the State of Arizona is the governing document and framework for the State of Arizona. The current constitution is the first and only adopted by the state of Arizona. History The Arizona Territory was authorized to hold a ...

to eliminate language that discriminated on the basis of gender. She also is credited with getting

spittoon A spittoon (or spitoon) is a receptacle made for spitting into, especially by users of Chewing tobacco, chewing and dipping tobacco. It is also known as a cuspidor (which is the Portuguese language, Portuguese word for "spitter" or "spittoon", ...

s removed from the House chambers and barring the wearing of

miniskirt A miniskirt (or mini-skirt, mini skirt, or mini) is a skirt with its hemline well above the knees, generally at mid-thigh level, normally no longer than below the buttocks; and a dress with such a hemline is called a minidress or a miniskirt ...

s by its female pages.

Later life and death

At the time of her departure from the Arizona legislature at age 95, Rosenbaum was still known for her high energy level, almost always climbing the stairs to her third-floor office instead of using the

elevator An elevator (American English) or lift (Commonwealth English) is a machine that vertically transports people or freight between levels. They are typically powered by electric motors that drive traction cables and counterweight systems suc ...

. As a

volunteer Volunteering is an elective and freely chosen act of an individual or group giving their time and labor, often for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency ...

at the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum, she led guided tours for school groups and was known for her habit of running up the stairs.Bill Coates
Legendary lawmaker has 2 state buildings named in her honor
''Arizona Capitol Times'', September 1, 2006 She remained active for the rest of her life. After her death, the ''

Arizona Republic ''The Arizona Republic'' is an American daily newspaper published in Phoenix. Circulated throughout Arizona, it is the state's largest newspaper. Since 2000, it has been owned by the Gannett newspaper chain. History Early years The newspap ...

'' said of her in an editorial-page remembrance: "Right up to the end, she kept on giving speeches, serving on committees and even trying to get rose bushes planted in front of the Capitol again." Rosenbaum died from

congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF typically pr ...

at age 104 on December 28, 2003.

Honors, awards, and legacy

Rosenbaum was the recipient of many honors and awards during her long life, as well as some posthumous honors. She was

Globe A globe is a spherical Earth, spherical Model#Physical model, model of Earth, of some other astronomical object, celestial body, or of the celestial sphere. Globes serve purposes similar to maps, but, unlike maps, they do not distort the surface ...

's Business and Professional Woman of the Year in 1960 and the Gila County Woman of the Year in 1974. In 1982 her colleagues in the state legislature passed a resolution giving her the title "First Lady of the Arizona Legislature." In 1983 she received the First Legislative Award of Arizona Library Friends.

Northern Arizona University Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public research university based in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1899, it was the third and final university established in the Arizona Territory. It is one of the three universities gove ...

, the

University of Phoenix University of Phoenix (UoPX) is a Private university, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit university headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1976, the university confers certificates and degrees at the Ac ...

, and

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

awarded her honorary degrees. In 2006 she was named to the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame. She is the namesake of two state government buildings in Phoenix. The Polly Rosenbaum Building is an historic building that houses the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum. The Polly Rosenbaum State Archives and History Building, completed in 2008 and dedicated in 2009, is the home of the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records. In 1999, the year of her 100th birthday, the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records established the Polly Rosenbaum Award in her honor, recognizing her support for libraries, museums, and archives, and the preservation of the state's cultural history. Known as the "Polly" Award, this award honors elected or appointed officials who "cherish Arizona’s rich cultural resources and support the work of the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records." It is presented each year on February 14, Arizona Statehood Day. The Polly Rosenbaum Writing Contest is conducted each year by the Arizona Educational Foundation, stimulating and recognizing creative writing by students in grades 7 through 12.About the Polly Rosenbaum Writing Contest
, Arizona Educational Foundation website, accessed October 27, 2010

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosenbaum, Polly 1899 births 2003 deaths Democratic Party members of the Arizona House of Representatives People from Gila County, Arizona People from Keokuk County, Iowa University of Colorado alumni USC Rossier School of Education alumni Women state legislators in Arizona American women centenarians 21st-century American women 20th-century members of the Arizona State Legislature 20th-century American women politicians