Mary Beck, 96; Served 20 Years on Detroit City Council
Mary Beck, 96, the first woman elected to Detroit’s City Council, died Sunday in Clinton Township, Mich. The cause of death was not reported.
The daughter of Ukrainian immigrants, Beck was born in Ford City, Pa. She earned her bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and was a juvenile court investigator and social worker.
She was elected to the Detroit City Council in 1950, a post she held for 20 years.
Upon joining the all-male council, she fined any lawmaker who swore. She supported fluoridation of the city’s drinking water and advocated expiration dates on milk cartons. Beck served as council president from 1957 to 1961. She ran for mayor in 1969, but finished third in the Democratic primary.
After leaving public office in 1970, she became more involved with the local Ukrainian community.
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