Former teacher Frances Webb Strong  served her community in the Alabama State Senate. She and her colleague, Ann Bedsole, were the first women to serve in that body. Photo Credit: Webb family

Many fine educators also serve their communities as politicians. One of these is Frances Webb Strong, who was one of the first women to be elected to the Alabama State Senate.

Francis, whose birthday was Jan. 11, 1931, was born and raised in Demopolis, Alabama. Her family owned a number of businesses, including a cotton merchandising company, a sawmill, timber lands, cattle farms, and cotton farms. As a youngster, Frances was often called by the nickname “Sister” because she was the younger of two sisters in her family.

Once she graduated from high school, Frances earned her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Alabama. She earned her Master’s degree in Education from Livingston University.

In a career that spanned a total of 19 years, Frances taught at all levels, from kindergarten through college. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Frances coached many outstanding sports teams. In fact, she founded a girls’ athletic program for Demopolis City Schools. Participants in her sports programs captured many statewide honors, some of which resulted in college scholarships for several of her students.

In addition to her work as an educator, Frances served her community as an accomplished politician. She was elected on the Democratic ticket to the Alabama State Senate, where she represented District 22 from 1983 to 1986. In fact, she and her colleague, Ann Bedsole, were the first women to serve in the Alabama State Senate.

While in the Senate, Frances worked to strengthen the rights of Alabama’s Native Americans. She was instrumental in the passage of the Davis-Strong Act, which gave official status to six Native American tribes that previously had not been been recognized. As a result of this legislation, a ten-member commission was established to advance the interests of Alabama’s Native American communities. Frances was appointed by then-Alabama Gov. George Wallace to serve on that commission.

On a humorous note, in the 1980s Frances supported the creation of an Alabama Turkey Hunters Hall of Fame. The District she represented is located in southwestern Alabama, which is still considered one of the best turkey hunting spots in the nation. The Senator told the newspaper, “In my District, you don’t mess with folks’ hunting and fishing.”

Today, at age 91, Frances Webb Strong continues to live in her home town, Demopolis, Alabama.