Abstract
An oral history with Ruth Goldway, who is former chairwoman of the Postal Exchange Commission and former city council member and mayor of Santa Monica, California. The interview was conducted for the Women, Politics, and Activism Since Suffrage Oral History Project for California State University, Fullerton’s Center for Oral and Public History. The purpose of this interview was to gather information regarding her political career including her time on the Santa Monica City Council, experiences as a wife of a U.S. Ambassador to Finland, and her time as a member of the Postal Exchange Commission. Specifically, this interview talks about her early childhood in Manhattan, New York; her parents involvement in left wing politics and their jobs; her educational background and how she attended the University of Michigan and earned her degree in English Literature and Anthropology; discusses some of her experiences in the 1960s and the social turbulence at the time; gives an example of the 1960s normalized gender discrimination and recalls when she was denied a job at Honeywellin 1965; she explains why she became involved in politics and how food issues led her to organize with Fight Inflation Together; briefly discusses her divorce, remarriage, and initial move to Santa Monica, California; discusses how she ran for California State Assembly, her campaign platform, and losing; explains how she did well with voters in Santa Monica, which led her to her involvement with the Santa Monica City Council as a council member and mayor; she discusses the issues of importance at the time such as rent control in the late 1970s; explains the constant criticisms she faced for being a woman as well as her democratic background; talks about her involvement with creating farmer’s markets; briefly discusses Santa Monicans for Renter’s Rights and her allies on the council; she explains how she lost mayoralreelection in 1983; goes into detail about her husband, Derek Shearer’s appointment to U.S. Ambassador of Finland and her time there; talks about her relationship with Hillary and Bill Clinton; discusses her appointment as commissioner and eventually chairwomanof the Postal Exchange Commission; explains how she helped form an organization called Women in Logistics and Delivery Services, WiLDS; reflects onher experiences with leading delegations in China; explains what she believes it takes to be a successful politician; her leadership style; her thoughts on feminism, why she believes there are few women in politics; and she closes with a few thoughts on what it will mean for women in politics if Hillary Clinton wins the 2016 presidential election. Bulk Dates: 1950-2010.
