Ruth Small Stockton (June 6, 1916 – October 21, 1990) represented

Jefferson County Jefferson County may refer to one of several counties or parishes in the United States, all of which are named directly or indirectly after Thomas Jefferson: *Jefferson County, Alabama *Jefferson County, Arkansas *Jefferson County, Colorado **Jeffe ...

for 24 years as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or again ...

state representative in the

Colorado General Assembly The Colorado General Assembly is the state legislature of the State of Colorado. It is a bicameral legislature that was created by the 1876 state constitution. Its statutes are codified in the '' Colorado Revised Statutes'' (C.R.S.). The ses ...

. Stockton was the Senate Majority Caucus leader (1967-1968) and the first woman to serve as the state's

president pro tempore A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being" ...

(1979-1980). She was inducted into the

Colorado Women's Hall of Fame The Colorado Women's Hall of Fame is a non-profit, volunteer organization that recognizes women who have contributed to the history of the U.S. state of Colorado. As of 2020, 170 women have been inducted. History There was a short-lived recogniti ...

in 1985. She attended Vassar College but dropped out during the depression to work at Macy's, though she returned later to complete classes at Columbia University. Her father, Arthur Small, was worked for the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in f ...

. While at the

1936 Republican National Convention The 1936 Republican National Convention was held June 9–12 at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, Ohio. It nominated Governor Alfred Landon of Kansas for president and Frank Knox of Illinois for vice president. The convention supported many ...

, she met her future husband, Truman Stockton, who was then the president of the

Young Republicans The Young Republican National Federation, commonly referred to as the Young Republicans or YRNF, is a 527 organization for members of the Republican Party of the United States between the ages of 18 and 40. It has both a national organization ...

and a Colorado delegate. Stockton waited until her daughter went to college to run for office. She was first elected to the

Colorado House of Representatives The Colorado House of Representatives is the lower house of the Colorado General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Colorado. The House is composed of 65 members from an equal number of constituent districts, with each distr ...

in 1961 and, after subsequent reelections to the house, won a seat in the

Colorado Senate The Colorado Senate is the upper house of the Colorado General Assembly, the state legislature of the US state of Colorado. It is composed of 35 members elected from single-member districts, with each district having a population of about 123,0 ...

, where she represented

Lakewood Lakewood may refer to: Places Australia * Lakewood, Western Australia, an abandoned town in Western Australia Canada * Lakewood, Edmonton, Alberta * Lakewood Suburban Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Philippines * Lakewood, Zamboanga del ...

from 1965 until 1984. Stockton was the Senate Majority Caucus leader (1967-1968) and the first woman to serve as the state's

(1979-1980). During over two decades in office, she chaired the Appropriations, Senate Services, and Health, Environment, Welfare, and Institutions committees, in addition to chair the Joint Budget Committee, which she was the first woman to do. Stockton was a moderate Republican and supported the Equal Rights Amendment and women's abortion rights.

References

1916 births 1990 deaths 20th-century American women politicians 20th-century American politicians Republican Party members of the Colorado House of Representatives Women state legislators in Colorado People from Lakewood, Colorado People from Ridgefield Park, New Jersey Republican Party Colorado state senators {{Colorado-politician-stub