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Sophie Masloff set her sights on political career at early age
Monday, March 27, 2000
Women's History Month honors women who have shown consistency and perseverance. One Pittsburgh woman in particular embodies these very ideas.
Sophie Masloff rose from near poverty to take her place among the power elite as mayor of the City of Pittsburgh.
Masloff was born Dec. 21, 1917, and grew up on Roberts Street in the lower Hill District as the daughter of poorJewish immigrants. Her parents came from Romania around 1900. Only able to speak Yiddish, she began school not knowing the English language. Yet Masloff graduated from Fifth Avenue High School in 1934 when she was only 16. During high school, she would visit the Democratic headquarters, making friends with party leaders who helped her get a job with Allegheny County at age 18 -- a job that usually required being at least 21.
Masloff worked as a county employee for many years in several departments until 1976, when she was elected to the City Council seat vacated by Amy Ballinger. Masloff was re-elected in 1977, 1981 and 1985.
Masloff worked her way up to council president. She was the first woman to do so, and she stayed in this position for 12 years until the unexpected death of Richard Caliguiri. On May 6, 1988, she took over as mayor and finished Caliguiri's term. Masloff was the city's first woman mayor, but what she really wanted was to serve a term of her own, which she got in the November1989 election.
-- By Chad Parks, History Center Intern
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