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Hilda Mason

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For the English architect, see Hilda Mason (architect).
Hilda Mason
Member of the Council of the District of Columbia At-large
In office
April 2, 1977 – January 2, 1999
Preceded byJulius Hobson
Succeeded byDavid Catania
Personal details
Born(1916-06-14)June 14, 1916
Campbell County, Virginia, U.S.[1]
DiedDecember 16, 2007(2007-12-16) (aged 91)
Washington, D.C., US
Political partyD.C. Statehood Party
ResidenceShepherd Park, Washington, D.C.[1]


Hilda Mason (June 14, 1916 – December 16, 2007) was a politician and statehood advocate in Washington, D.C. She was a member of the D.C. Statehood Party and served as an at-large member of the Council of the District of Columbia from 1977 to 1999, becoming, at the time, the longest-serving elected official in the district's history since the beginning of home rule.[citation needed] Mason was one of a few members of the Democratic Socialists of America to be elected to public office prior to 2017.[2]

Raised in Altavista, Virginia, Mason moved to Washington, D.C., in 1945.[3] She worked as a teacher and then an assistant principal.[3] She chose the middle name Howland in recognition of a northern white woman who taught Mason and other southern black women.[3] It was on the picket lines where she met Charlie Mason, a white man who had graduated from Harvard University and Howard University Law School.[3] They married at All Souls Church in 1965;[3] they had two daughters.[4]

Mason was an elected member of the District of Columbia Board of Education from 1972 to 1977, and then was appointed to the D.C. Council to replace Julius Hobson.[4] Mason's focus while on the council was public education; she advocated for the creation of the David A. Clarke School of Law at the University of the District of Columbia.[4] In the mid-1990s, Mason's mental condition came into question, and her behavior was described as "sometimes-erratic and unpredictable".[5] Later in life, Mason began calling herself the "Grandmother to the world".[6] In 1998, she finished third in an at-large race that elected two council members.[4][7]

Political career

  • April 2, 1977 — appointed by the D.C. Statehood Party to fill the at-large council seat left vacant by the death of Julius Hobson[8]
  • July 19, 1977 – elected at-large council member in special election (narrow win over Barbara Sizemore)[9]
  • November 7, 1978 — reelected at-large council member[10]
  • November 2, 1982 — reelected at-large council member[10]
  • November 4, 1986 — reelected at-large council member[10]
  • November 6, 1990 — reelected at-large council member[10]
  • November 8, 1994 — reelected at-large council member[10]
  • November 3, 1998 — ran for reelection but was defeated in general by Phil Mendelson and David Catania (the at-large race has two winners)[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Redmon, Jeremy. "Has her time passed? - Mason denies she's too old to run." The Washington Times. October 16, 1998.
  2. ^ Democratic Left, vol. 8 no. 1 (January 1990), page 7.
  3. ^ a b c d e Montgomery, David (October 15, 1998). "Mason's Hold on Council Seat May Be Waning". The Washington Post. p. B1.
  4. ^ a b c d Smith, J. Y.; Holley, Joe (18 December 2007). "Vocal Former Member Of D.C. Council Pushed Home Rule, Education". Washington Post. pp. B1. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  5. ^ Valerie Strauss, "Mason's behavior worries allies, foes alike", The Washington Post, Aug. 1, 1995, p. B1.
  6. ^ James Jones, "Loose Lips: Brazil Takes Offense", Washington City Paper, Nov. 17, 2006.
  7. ^ Mike DeBonis, "Hilda Mason Dies at 91", Washington City Paper, Dec. 17, 2007.
  8. ^ Williams, Juan; Coleman, Milton (1977-04-03). "Hilda Mason to Fill Hobson Council Seat". The Washington Post. p. 21. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
  9. ^ Coleman, Milton; Morgan, Thomas (1977-07-20). "Mason Leading Sizemore". The Washington Post. p. A1. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
  10. ^ a b c d e f District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. "Historical Elected Officials: At-Large Member of the Council of the District of Columbia". Archived from the original on 2008-07-16. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
Council of the District of Columbia
Preceded by At-Large Member, Council of the District of Columbia
1977–1999 		Succeeded by

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