Margaret Hance, the first female mayor of Phoenix, contributed greatly to the people of Arizona by advocating for urban renovation, modern transportation and park development in Phoenix. The youngest of three, Margaret Taylor was born in Spirit Lake, Iowa on July 2, 1923. In 1926, the Taylor family moved to Mesa, Arizona and later settled in Phoenix. As a young girl, Margaret was taught the importance of giving back to her community; a philosophy that would stay with her throughout her life. In 1942, Margaret attended the University of Arizona and later received a Bachelor of Arts from Scripps College in California where she graduated in 1945. During her time in college, Margaret met Richard Hance, an aviator at Luke Air Army Force Base in Arizona, whom she later married. Together, Margaret and Richard had three children (Arizona Archives).
As a mother, Margaret always kept busy with various…show more content… After some tribulations, Hance became a member of the Charter Government Committee in 1971, which controlled city politics in Phoenix. In 1975, Hance saw that there was a change in Phoenix; it had become one of the largest and fastest growing cities in the U.S. and the people needed a leader that would guide them in the throughout this period of change. Wanting to have an even greater impact in the direction of this growing city, Hance decided to stretch her political strength by running for mayor of Phoenix. Uncertain that the people of Phoenix would vote for a woman as their mayor, the Charter decided not to support her decision. As a result, Hance ran as an independent candidate in the election. In 1976 Hance made history as the first female mayor in Phoenix. She proved to be a popular candidate, as she won four consecutive two-year terms as mayor