Iowa educator and school superintendent Julia Addington

Women’s History Month offers the opportunity to reach back into history and explore the lives of many remarkable women. One of these was Julia Addington, a school teacher from Iowa who was the first woman elected to public office in that state.

Julia was born on June 13, 1829, in New York state. She was the oldest of seven children born to William Addington, Sr., and Alvira (Potter) Addington. Her family moved first to Wisconsin, and then to Iowa, where her father established a farm.

Once in Iowa, Julia taught school in Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Des Moines, and finally at Cedar Valley Seminary, a private high school located in Osage, Mitchell County, Iowa.

In 1869, at the age of 40, Julia was serving as the temporary superintendent of schools when her supporters encouraged her to run for the office in her own right. Once the votes were counted, it was discovered that she and her opponent, Milton M. Browne, had each garnered exactly the same number of votes. A flip of the coin decided the election in Julia’s favor. Unfortunately, many of Mitchell County’s residents did not accept these results because Julia was a woman, but Iowa state Attorney General Henry O’Connor ruled that her election was legal because the law did not expressly state that the candidate must be a man.

During her two-year term as school superintendent, Julia oversaw 76 schools, including three log schoolhouses, with 2,231 students and 122 teachers. She visited and inspected each school in the county at least twice a year. In addition, Julia tested applicants for teaching certificates, made an annual report to the state superintendent, and examined plans for new school buildings. Under her tenure, 17 new schools were built.

An innovative educator, Julia encouraged her teachers to read educational journals, and one of her teachers attended the Normal School at Winona, Minnesota—something she correctly predicted would become a more widespread practice in the future. She also organized week-long institutes offering lectures and discussions about best practices, which were well-attended. As superintendent, Julia viewed her role as an observer—watching, examining, and recommending. Rather than criticizing, she gave advice and made suggestions that were encouraging to the teacher and beneficial to the school. She saw to it that Mitchell County teachers were better paid, and turnover for teachers in her district was greatly reduced.

Julia Addington certainly made a positive impact on the teachers and students she was responsible for, not only as a teacher, but also as a school superintendent.

This remarkable educator passed away on September 21, 1875, at her home in Stacyville, Iowa. She was 46 years old.