Isabell Masters facts for kids

Isabell Masters (January 9, 1913 – September 11, 2011) was a remarkable woman from Topeka, Kansas. She is known for running for President of the United States five times. She was a perennial third-party candidate, meaning she ran many times and was not part of the two main political parties. Her own party was called the Looking Back Party.

Isabell Masters ran for president in the 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 presidential elections. She holds the record for the most presidential campaigns by any woman in U.S. history. In 1992, her son, Walter Ray Masters, was her vice president. In 1996, her daughter, Shirley Jean Masters, was her running mate.

About Isabell Masters

Her Early Life and Education

Isabell Arch was born on January 9, 1913, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Her parents were Cora McDaniels and Walter Arch. Her father was a businessman. Isabell graduated from Douglas High School in Oklahoma City. She then earned a bachelor's degree in education from Langston University.

Isabell Masters was a teacher for her job. She taught in schools in California, New York, Nevada, and Kansas. Some of the cities where she taught include Pasadena, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Kansas City, and Syracuse, New York. She later earned a doctorate degree from the University of Oklahoma when she was in her late 60s. She also got her master's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Her Family Life

Isabell Masters married Alfred Masters. He made history by becoming the first African American to join the United States Marine Corps. He was sworn in on June 1, 1942. Isabell and Alfred had six children together. Their marriage ended in the late 1940s. Isabell then raised her six children as a single mother.

Running for Office

Isabell Masters was very interested in politics. She ran for President of the United States five times. In the 2000 election, she was a "write-in" candidate in Kansas. This means people had to write her name on the ballot to vote for her. Her daughter, Alfreda Dean Masters, was her vice-presidential running mate that year.

Before running as a third-party candidate, she tried to win the Republican primary elections for President several times. In 1996, she was on the ballot in Oklahoma. She received 1,052 votes in that primary election.

Besides her presidential campaigns, Isabell Masters also ran for other local offices. She ran for city council in Topeka, Kansas. She also ran for Mayor of West Palm Beach, Florida once.

Her Children's Achievements

Isabell Masters had six children. One of her sons is Rev. Thomas A. Masters Sr. He is the current Mayor of Riviera Beach, Florida. He was also a community leader during the Florida election recount after the 2000 presidential election.

Another one of her daughters, Cora Masters, became a political scientist. She married former Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry in 1994. They later divorced.

Later Life and Passing

Isabell Masters passed away peacefully in her sleep on September 11, 2011. She was 98 years old. She died at a nursing facility in Lake Worth, Florida. For the last four years of her life, she lived with her son, Mayor Thomas Masters, in Riviera Beach.