Women's History Month: Shackelford First Woman to Serve as Mayor of Little Rock

Lottie Shackelford was the first woman to serve as mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas, the state's capital and largest city.

Originally appointed to fill a vacancy on the city's Board of Directors, Shackelford sought, and won, election to a full term in 1980, becoming the first Black candidate to win a citywide election. In 1987, the Board voted her mayor, a position she held for four years.

Of the city's 73 chief executives, only one other has been female: Sharon Priest, from 1991-1992.

Learn more via the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.