Ruth Meiers (November 6, 1925 – March 19, 1987) was the first female
Lieutenant Governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
of
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minnesota to the east, S ...
. She became the 33rd Lieutenant Governor in 1985. Meiers was diagnosed with lung and brain cancer in 1986 and died in office six months later in March 1987. The
Ruth Meiers Hospitality House
The Ruth Meiers Hospitality House, Inc. is a shelter for the homeless located in Bismarck, North Dakota. It was founded in 1987 and is named after Ruth Meiers, the first woman Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota. The first home was leased from HU ...
is named in her honor. Meiers was a social worker in
Mountrail County, North Dakota
Mountrail County is a county in the northwestern part of North Dakota, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,809. Its county seat is Stanley. The county was originally created in 1873, then removed in 1892, annexed by War ...
. In 1974, Meiers served in the
North Dakota House of Representatives
The North Dakota House of Representatives is the lower house of the North Dakota Legislative Assembly and is larger than the North Dakota Senate.
North Dakota is divided into between 40 and 54 legislative districts apportioned by population as d ...
as a
Democrat.
See also
*
List of female lieutenant governors in the United States
As of January 18, 2023, there are 22 women currently serving (excluding acting capacity) as lieutenant governors in the United States. Overall, 118 women have served (including acting capacity).
Women have been elected lieutenant governor from 4 ...
References
External links
Chronology of North Dakota in the 1980sRuth Meiers Hospitality House
1925 births
1987 deaths
People from Mountrail County, North Dakota
Lieutenant Governors of North Dakota
Deaths from cancer in North Dakota
Women state legislators in North Dakota
20th-century American politicians
20th-century American women politicians
Democratic Party members of the North Dakota House of Representatives
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