Joan Barr
18th Mayor of Evanston, Illinois
In office
1985–1993
Preceded byJames C. Lytle
Succeeded byLorraine H. Morton
Personal details
Born(1939-11-22)November 22, 1939
DiedMarch 21, 2015
Political partyDemocratic
M.B.A. Northwestern University
EducationB.A. Syracuse University

Joan W. Barr (née Worthy; later Barr-Smith; November 22, 1939 – March 21, 2015) was an American politician and the first woman elected as mayor of the city of Evanston, Illinois.[1] Barr Smith was elected in 1985 and sworn into her position on April 22, 1985, by Cook County Circuit Judge Michael Toomin.[2] Prior to her election to the role of mayor, she served eight years as an alderman to the city's Second Ward.[3]

Early life and career

Joan was the only child of James (a professor at Kellogg School of Management) and Mildred Louise Worthy (née Neritz).[4] The family lived in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago while Barr was young.[5] The family relocated to the North Shore area when Barr was four years old.[3]

Barr attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois.[6] She continued her education at Syracuse University, where she earned a bachelor's degree. She subsequently earned her MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University,[3] becoming part of the class of 1996.[3][7]

She moved to Evanston in 1962, before serving two years as president of the Dewey Community Conference. In 1977, she was elected alderman from Evanston's Second Ward.[5] She served out her aldermanic term and was reelected for a second one in 1981.[5]

In 1985, she made a successful bid for the position of mayor against two individuals: the retiring alderman Donald Borah,[2] and Rev. John Frederick Norwood,[2][8] then pastor of the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Evanston. Her election marked the first time in Evanston's history that a woman held the role of mayor.[2][9] Her inaugural address noted burdensome residential real estate taxes as a priority to address.[2] The amount of tax-exempt properties in the city was seen by the community as contributing to what was then one of the highest real estate taxes in the Chicago area.[2] She also noted economic development,[10] improving the relationship between the city and Northwestern University;[11] street gangs and homelessness were priority areas for her tenure.[2][3]

Mayoral tenure

While mayor, Barr remained active in numerous civic organizations. She served as President of the Northwest Municipal Conference and was a member of the Executive Committee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. She served that organization as chair of the Woman Mayors group.[5]

During her tenure, she became known for fostering improved town–gown relations, partnering with Northwestern University on building a $400 million dollar research park in Evanston, and vetoing a proposed tuition tax on students at the University.[9][12] Stemming from her work in establishing the research park, Barr was called "a consensus builder" by Evanston Inventure (a city-wide development corporation) executive director, Ronald Kysiak.[13] According to the local newspaper, the Chicago Tribune, moderator and consensus builder also describe how Barr saw her own role. She was also viewed by others as non-confrontational in her style of government, focused on forging connections and non-partisanship community building.[7]

Barr was elected for a second mayoral term in 1989 and stepped down from the position in 1992.[14] Following her time as mayor, she worked for the Illinois Department of Revenue and the Illinois Department of Employment Security. She became a deacon in the Episcopal Church in 2008.[9][7]

References

  1. ↑ Latham, Tori (March 24, 2015). "First female Evanston mayor dies after battle with leukemia". The Daily Northwestern. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Enstad, Robert (April 23, 1985). "EVANSTON SWEARS IN FIRST WOMAN MAYOR". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Joan Barr Smith: Kellogg Grad, Former Evanston Mayor Dies". news.northwestern.eduaccess-date=2019-05-20.
  4. ↑ "UNCAP: Guide to the James C. Worthy (1910–1998) Papers 1930/1999". uncap.lib.uchicago.edu. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Obituary for Joan Barr Smith – SKOKIE, IL". www.donnellanfuneral.com. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Joan Barr Smith". DailyNorthShore. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 Seidenberg, Bob (March 25, 2015). "Evanston's first female mayor managed through consensus". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  8. ↑ reporter, Vikki Ortiz, Tribune staff (December 15, 2007). "John Fredrick Norwood: 1926 – 2007". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved October 21, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. 1 2 3 "Passings: Northwestern Magazine – Northwestern University". Northwestern Magazine. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  10. ↑ Smith, Bill (March 22, 2015). "Former mayor Joan Barr dies". Evanston Now. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  11. ↑ Page, Marissa (October 20, 2015). "Aldermanic library dedicated to Evanston's first female mayor". The Daily Northwestern. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  12. ↑ Rosenthal, Brian (March 2, 2009). "Town-gown relations see change on horizon". The Daily Northwestern. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  13. ↑ McCrory, Robert (July 1988). "Illinois Issues". Illinois Issues. 17.
  14. ↑ "Lorraine Morton, Longest Serving Mayor Of Evanston, Dies At 99". Evanston, IL Patch. September 10, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
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