Wilma J. Webb (born 1944) is an American politician who was a member of the Colorado General Assembly from 1980 to 1993. A Democrat, she represented Denver County in the Colorado House of Representatives.[2] She sponsored dozens of bills including school reform and equality initiatives. She is best known for sponsoring legislation that adopted Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a Colorado state holiday before it became the federal Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, and for her efforts to educate the young about King's legacy.[3]
Wilma Webb | |
|---|---|
 | |
| First Lady of Denver | |
| In office July 15, 1991 – July 21, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | Ellen Hart Peña |
| Succeeded by | Helen Thorpe |
| Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 8th district | |
| In office 1980–1993[1] | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1944 (age 79–80) Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Spouse | Wellington Webb (m. 1969) |
| Children | 4 |
Early life and education
editWebb was born in Denver, Colorado, to Faye and Frank Gerdine. She attended the University of Colorado Denver without obtaining a degree.[4] As a state legislator, she attended the Harvard Kennedy School in 1988.[5]
Career
editShe married Wellington Webb in 1969. He later became the first African American mayor of Denver, in office from 1991 to 2003.[5] She was the first First Lady of Denver to have held political office herself.[6]
During her time in the Colorado House of Representatives, she became the first African-American member of the legislature's Joint Budget Committee (the legislature's most powerful six-member committee), helping write the state's $4 billion budget in 1981,[1]
She has been recognized by several organizations including the National Education Association. She was inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 1991.[1]
Personal life
editShe and her husband have four adult children. She is a member of Zion Baptist Church of Denver, Colorado, and of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
References
edit- ^ a b c "Inductee Name: Wilma J. Webb". Colorado Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
- ^ "Women who served in the Colorado House of Representatives |".
- ^ "Shun violence, Wilma Webb pleads". Denver Post. January 17, 1994. Retrieved May 1, 2011.[dead link]
- "King Day came early for Wilma Webb". Rocky Mountain News. January 18, 1983. - ^ Yvonne Tollette Wallace (July 23, 2007). "Wilma J. Webb (1943- )". Black Past.
- ^ a b "The Honorable Wilma J. Webb". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
- ^ "Wilma Webb city's first First Lady with a resumé in politics". Denver Post. July 2, 1991. Retrieved May 1, 2011.[dead link]
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