Belle Cooledge, the first female mayor of an American city with more than 30,000 residents, was a member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood. A Sacramento park, branch library, and community center are named for her.
Cooledge was born on July 29, 1884, and moved to Sacramento, California, in the late 1800s. She graduated from Sacramento High School in 1900. Cooledge attended University of California – Berkeley, where she earned a Bachelor’s in chemistry. She also earned a Master’s at Berkeley and then she did additional graduate work at Columbia University in New York City.
She taught at Ione and Lodi High Schools. Her starting salary was $25 a week. In 1912, she was hired to teach at Sacramento High School. When she helped found the Sacramento Junior College (now known as Sacramento City College) in 1916, she was appointed Dean of Students. The college was originally housed in the upper floors of Sacramento High School.
Cooledge served as in the Army Nurse Corps during World War I, and returned to Sacramento Junior College when it reopened in 1920. She worked at the college until her retirement in 1947. During her tenure she served as a math instructor, college dean, dean of women and Vice President.
After her retirement, her students urged her to go into politics and helped her campaign for a seat on the city council. She was appointed mayor from 1948 to 1949. She then served another term on the city council.
She was known as “Auntie Belle.” In 1953, she was named Sacramento Woman of the Year. Cooledge was a member of Zonta International, American Association of University Women, Daughters of the American Revolution, P.E.O. Sisterhood, Order of the Eastern Star, and Delta Kappa Gamma.
After her death on November 9, 1955, the Sacramento chapter of Zonta International sent complete electric train set to the children of the Weimar Joint Sanatorium in her memory. The college she served established the SCC Belle Cooledge Memorial Scholarship.
