Ellen Walker Craig-Jones

American politician

Ellen Walker Craig-Jones

5th Mayor of Urbancrest
In office 1972–1975
Preceded by	Vaughn E. Hairston
Succeeded by	Vaughn E. Hairston

Personal details
Born	Dollie Ellen Walker (1906-06-05)June 5, 1906 Franklin County, Ohio
Died	January 23, 2000 Urbancrest, Ohio
Children	one son

Ellen Walker Craig-Jones (1906 – 2000) was an American politician. She was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame for "Government and Military Service." She was the first African American woman to be elected mayor of a United States municipality in 1972.^[1] She served as mayor of Urbancrest, Ohio, from 1972 until 1975.^[2]

Life

Dollie Ellen Walker was born in Franklin, County, Ohio to Charles Oscar Walker and Weltha Belle Lee.^[3] She and her family lived in Jackson Township at the 1910 and 1920 censuses.^[4]^[5] She married James H. Craig in 1924.^[6] In 1930, she and her husband lived in Truro working as a cook and chauffeur for the Gugle family.^[7] By 1935, they lived in Jackson Township again through at least 1940.^[8] By 1950, they lived in Urbancrest with their son.^[9]

In 1960, Craig-Jones embarked on a political career and became a member of the Urbancrest Village Council. In 1971, Craig-Jones was elected Mayor of Urbancrest, Ohio, the first African American woman to be elected mayor by popular vote, and the first African American woman to be elected mayor of any municipality in the United States.

Upon taking office in 1972, Craig-Jones focused on modernizing the community. During her administration, Urbancrest received a three million dollar housing project for the town's poorer citizens. Craig-Jones also improved street lighting, installed signage, and repaired Urbancrest's streets. She remained in office until 1975.

She dedicated her life to improving conditions in her hometown of Urbancrest. At various points in her life, Craig-Jones founded or was a member of the Urbancrest Volunteer Civic Improvement Association, the Buckeye Boys Ranch, and the Urbancrest Chapter of the Blue Star Mothers of America. She was also actively involved with the Urbancrest Youth Council, the Urbancrest Community Recreation Club, and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission.

Ellen Walker Craig-Jones died on January 23, 2000, at the age of 93. ^[10]^[11]

References

^ "Ellen Walker Craig-Jones". Ohio Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
^ Royster, Jacqueline Jones (2003). Profiles of Ohio Women, 1803-2003. Ohio University Press. ISBN 9780821415085.
^ "Dollie E. Walker, 1906". FamilySearch. "Ohio, County Births, 1841-2003", database with images. 8 March 2021.
^ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (accessed 27 April 2023), Dollie E Walker in household of Charles O Walker, Jackson, Franklin, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 14, sheet 17A, family 155, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1183; FHL microfilm 1,375,196.
^ "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (3 February 2021), Dolly Walker in entry for Charles Walker, 1920.
^ "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016", database with images, FamilySearch (15 October 2021), James H. Craig and Ellen Walker, 1924.
^ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (accessed 27 April 2023), Ellen W Craig in household of George L Gugle Sr., Truro, Franklin, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 218, sheet 5B, line 58, family 131, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1802; FHL microfilm 2,341,536.
^ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (9 January 2021), Ellen W Craig in household of James H Craig, Jackson Township, Franklin, Ohio, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 25-27A, sheet 7A, line 39, family 140, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3069.
^ "United States 1950 Census", database, FamilySearch (Sun Jan 29 15:06:47 UTC 2023), Ellen W. Craig in entry for Benjamin F. Bayless and James H. Craig, 10 April 1950.
^ "Ellen W. Craig-Jones - Ohio History Central". www.ohiohistorycentral.org. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
^ "Obituary for Ellen Walker Craig-Jones (Aged 93)". Detroit Free Press. 2000-01-27. p. 34. Retrieved 2021-09-17.

Ohio Women's Hall of Fame

1970–1979

1978	Florence E. Allen Helen Chatfield Black Frances Bolton Elizabeth Boyer Harriet Bracken Martha Kinney Cooper Gertrude Donahey Jane Edna Hunter Consolata Kline Virginia Kunkle Margaret A. Mahoney Helen Grace McClelland Agnes Merritt Rose Papier Lottie Randolph Ella P. Stewart Marigene Valiquette Ann B. Walker Stella Walsh Marion Wells
1979	Mary Jobe Akeley Mary Ann Bickerdyke Beatrice Cleveland Charity Edna Earley Eleanor Jammal Bernice Kochan Emily Leedy Ruth Lyons Jerrie Mock Emma Phaler Rachel Redinger Bobbie Sterne Ethel Swanbeck Clara Weisenborn Marjorie Whiteman

1980–1989

1980	Grace Berlin Erma Bombeck Patricia M. Byrne Ruth Crawford Louisa Fast Dorothy Fuldheim Lillian Gish Esther Greisheimer Edith Keller Tella Kitchen Blanche Krupansky Hattie Larlham Mary Louise Nemeth Annie Oakley Doris Weber
1981	Mildred Bayer Tina Bischoff Lovin Dorothy Cornelius Doris Day Phyllis Diller Eusebia Hunkins Andre Norton Jean Starr Untermeyer Harriet Taylor Upton Nancy Wilson
1982	A. Margaret Boyd Ann Eriksson Bernice Foley Zelma Watson George Grace Goulder Izant Toni Morrison Phyllis Sewell Jayne Spain Helen Zelkowitz
1983	Harriet J. Anderson Ione Biggs Eula Bingham Mary O. Boyle Mariwyn Heath Josephine Irwin Barbara Janis Minnie Player Gloria Steinem Freda Winning Mary E. Miller Young
1984	Sally Cooper Sarah E. Harris Cindy Noble Hauserman Marcy Kaptur Karen Nussbaum Mary Rose Oakar Catherine Pinkerton Willa Player Judith Resnik Helen Hooven Santmyer Marian Trimble Joyce Wollenberg
1985	Lois Anna Barr Cook Mercedes Cotner Zell Draz Barbara Easterling Nikki Giovanni Aurora Gonzalez Mary Lazarus Barbara Mandel Norma Marcere Helen Mulholland Lauretta Schimmoler Marge Schott Mary Jen Steinbrenner
1986	Margaret Andrew Kathleen Barber Fay Biles Elizabeth Blackwell Marie Clarke Eva Mae Crosby Ruby Dee Cynthia Drennan Hooker Glendinning Louise Herring Katherine LeVeque Ruth Ratner Miller Amelia Nava Arline Webb Pratt Anastasia Ann Przelomski Virginia Purdy Selma Lois Walker Julia Walsh Faye Wattleton Mary Ellen Withrow
1988	Anna Biggins Patricia Clonch Norma Craden Jewel Freeman Graham Cathy Guisewite Rebecca D. Jackson Carol Heiss Jenkins Carol Kane Bea Larsen Alice Raful Lev Linda Rocker Sogg Eleanor Smeal Carolyn Utz Anita Smith Ward
1989	Jeanette Grasselli Brown Maxine Carnahan Tracy Chapman Betsy Mix Cowles Ann Gazelle Michelle Graves Florence Harshman June Hutt Geraldine Jensen Carolyn Mahoney Linda Myers Jennie Porter Diane Poulton Renee Powell Charlene Spretnak Charlene Ventura

1990–1999

1990	Marilyn Gaston Dorothy Jackson Luella Talmadge Jackson Janet Kalven Rosabeth Kanter Maggie Kuhn Joan Lamson Maya Lin Anne Variano Macko Alicia Mott Ludel Sauvageot Fanchon bat-Lillian Shur Phebe Temperance Sutliff Grayce Williams
1991	Berenice Abbott Earladeen Badger Hallie Brown JoAnn Davidson Raquel Diaz-Sprague Rita Dove Mary Ignatia Gavin Sara Harper Donna Hawk June Holley Martha C. Moore Darlene Owens Helen H. Peterson Martha Pituch Yvonne Pointer Virginia Ruehlmann Josephine Schwarz Suzanne Timken Nancy Vertrone Bieniek Stella Marie Zannoni
1992	Mary of the Annunciation Beaumont Antoinette Eaton Rubie McCullough Nancy Oakley Harriet Parker Susan Porter Helen Steiner Rice Alice Schille Louella Thompson
1993	Mildred Benson Amelia Bingham Virginia Coffey Viola Famiano Colombi Ivy Gunter Virginia Hamilton Lucy Webb Hayes Joy Alice Hintz Geraldine Macelwane Anne O'Hare McCormick Rena Olshansky Edna Pincham Maxine Plummer Jean Reilly Pauline Riel
1994	Christine M. Cook Claudia Coulton Ellen Walker Craig-Jones Nanette Ferrall Jill Harms Griesse Georgia Griffith Florence Melton Lucille Nussdorfer Jane Reece Emma Ann Reynolds Carol Scott Paula Spence Deanna Tribe Lillian Wald
1995	Sandra Beckwith Daeida Hartell Wilcox Beveridge Patricia Ann Blackmon Mary Bowermaster Christine Brennan Joy Garrison Cauffman Bunny Clark Grace Drake Naomi Evans Frances Dana Gage Jane Kirkham Sylvia Lewis Tami Longaberger Donna Moon Gratia Murphy Alice Robie Resnick Muriel Siebert
1996	Carol Cartwright Elizabeth Evans Rae Natalie Goodall Elizabeth Hauser Bernadine Healy Carol Kelly Fannie Lewis Betty Montgomery Hope Taft
1997	Carol Ball Marilyn Byers Jean Murrell Capers Martha Dorsey Joan Heidelberg Clarice Herbert Beatrice Lampkin Jacquelyn Mayer Townsend Ann O'Rourke Beryl Rothschild Thekla Shackelford
1998	Marianne Boggs Campbell Carole Garrison Nancy Hollister Stephanie J. Jones Bettye Ruth Kay Barbara Ross-Lee Audrey Mackiewicz Kathy Palasics Margaret Diane Quinn Henrietta Seiberling Mary Emily Taylor Virginia Varga Jacqueline Woods Nancy Lusk Zimpher
1999	MaryJo Behrensmeyer Alvina Costilla Sarah Deal Electra Doren Daisy Flowers Annie Glenn Ann Hamilton Carole Hoover Cheryl Han Horn Carol Latham Nancy Linenkugel Marie Barrett Marsh Marjorie Parham Mary Regula Lee Lenore Rubin Harriet Beecher Stowe Jerry Sue Thornton Janet Voinovich

2000–2009

2000	Paige Ashbaugh Maude Charles Collins Faye Dambrot Margarita de Leon Patricia Louise Fletcher Jean Patrice Harrington Shirley Hoffman Dorothy Kazel Farah Majidzadeh Ada Martin Lorle Porter Lanna Samaniego Yvonne Taylor Margaret Wong Betty Zane
2001	Rebecca Boreczky Frances Jennings Casement Ruth L. Davis Lucille Ford Susan F. Gray Kathleen Harrison Adella Prentiss Hughes Janet E. Jackson Dottie Kammie Kamenshek Maxine Levin Irene Long Martha MacDonell Mary Andrew Matesich Elizabeth Powell Deborah Pryce Maria Sexton Farah Walters Georgeta Blebea Washington
2002	Judy Barker Frances Seiberling Buchholzer Joan Brown Campbell Nancy Frankenberg Zell Hart-Deming Elsie Helsel Katie T. Horstman Jennie Hwang Cathy Monroe Lewis Viola Startzman Robertson Stefanie Spielman Kathryn D. Sullivan
2003	Sheila Bailey Jeraldyne Kilborn Blunden Shannon Carter Luceille Fleming Olga González-Sanabria Elsie Janis Lois Lenski Ellen Mosley-Thompson Cathy Nelson Evlyn Gray Scott Yvonne Williams
2007	Rogers Margaret Brugler Julia Chatfield Lucille Hastings Lillie Howard Mary Ann Jorgenson Joyce Mahaney Rozella Schlotfeldt Katherine May Smith Florence Wang
2008	Dorothy Baunach Carrie Black Caro Bosca Yvette McGee Brown Loann Crane Joan Durgin Carol Gibbs Billie Johnson Jih Lei Elizabeth Magee Kasturi Rajadhyaksha Julie Salamon Michele Wheatly
2009	Gail Collins Pamela B. Davis Kim de Groh Beverly J. Gray Sharon Howard Carol Kuhre Virginia Manning Helen Moss Judith Rycus Mary Adelaide Sandusky Glenna Watson Bernett Williams Celia Williamson

2010–2019

2010	Owens Alvarene Tenenbaum Gayle Channing Dorothy McAlpin Maguire Chapman Barbara Fergus Merle Grace Kearns Rebecca J. Lee Nina McClelland Lana Moresky Martha Potter Otto Elizabeth Ruppert Rita Singh
2011	Cheryl A. Boyce Elizabeth H. Flick Frances Harper Brenda J. Hollis Mary C. Juhas Kleia R. Luckner Valerie J. Lyons Linda S. Noelker Carrie Vonderhaar