Lelia Foley facts for kids

Lelia Foley-Davis (born November 7, 1942) is an American politician. She is well-known for serving as the mayor of Taft, Oklahoma. She was elected in 1973. Many people have described her as the first African-American woman to be elected mayor in the United States.

Early Life and First Election

Lelia Foley was born in Taft, Oklahoma. This town is located in Muskogee County. She later worked as a librarian at the county's courthouse. She also helped people in Taft find affordable homes.

In January 1973, Lelia Foley decided to run for a spot on the school board. At the time, she was a divorced mother of five children. She was living in Taft, a town of about 600 people.

She did not win the school board election. However, she soon felt inspired by a book. The book was about A. J. Cooper becoming mayor of Pritchard, Alabama. Lelia Foley then raised $200 from supporters. She used this money to run for mayor of Taft.

Becoming Mayor of Taft

On April 3, 1973, the people of Taft elected Lelia Foley as their mayor. Her election happened before Doris A. Davis became mayor of Compton, California later that year. While many say Foley was the first African-American woman mayor, The Washington Post reported in 2019 that Ellen Craig-Jones, another Black woman, was elected mayor of Urbancrest, Ohio in 1971.

After her victory, Mayor Foley met with Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. In 1974, President Ford named her one of "Ten Outstanding Young Women." That same year, Oklahoma also named Foley its Outstanding Woman of the Year. As mayor, she helped get money from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. This money was used to create affordable housing for the community.

Lelia Foley lost her mayoral position in the 1980s. But she continued to help her community. In 2000, Lelia Foley-Davis, as she is now known, was elected mayor of Taft once again.

Running for State Office

In 2000, Lelia Foley-Davis ran for a seat in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. She ran in the Democratic primary for district 13. She received the most votes in the first primary election. However, she lost the final runoff election to Allan Harder.

In a speech she gave in 2018 at Northeastern State University, she shared a big dream. She said she wanted to run for Governor of Oklahoma. During her speech, she also mentioned wanting to meet then-President Donald Trump. She wanted to tell him to "Leave the Dreamers alone."

Her Lasting Legacy

In June 2022, a part of a street in Taft, Oklahoma, was renamed. It is now called Lelia Foley-Davis Avenue. This was done to honor her important work. Foley also stated in 2018 that she hopes to create the Lelia Foley-Davis Foundation.