Easter Lily Gates

Photograph

-

History Fort Lauderdale

Easter Lily Gates 1889-1985: History Fort Lauderdale Photograph Collection

Name/Title

Easter Lily Gates

Entry/Object ID

5-11956

Tags

Women's History, Easter Lily Gates

Description

Easter Lily Gates

Photograph Details

Subject Person or Organization

Easter Lily Gates

Collection

Women's History, History Fort Lauderdale Photograph Collection

Cataloged By

Emeri Cejka

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Print, Photographic

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Photograph

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Graphic Documents

Nomenclature Class

Documentary Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

General Notes

Note Type

Historical Note

Note

Easter Lily Gates 1889-1985 Easter Lily was born on Easter Sunday in Iowa and moved to Fort Lauderdale with her first husband, George, in 1918. When the hurricane of 1926 hit, the family lost everything. Unfortunately, George died a few weeks later, and Easter Lily was tasked with finding a job to support herself and her two young children. The job she found made her the first female school bus driver in Fort Lauderdale. Nicknamed the “Woman of Iron” for all her hard work and dedication, Easter Lily served as the Supervisor of Elections and Registration of Voters for Broward County. She won her first election by 2200 votes (Broward County only had 5000 voters at the time). Easter Lily was the first woman President of the state Supervisors of Elections and was responsible for many changes in election procedures during her 40 years in office. During her tenure, she registered the first African Americans and the first nine Seminole Indians to vote in the county. Her main focus was to get voting machines and permanent registration processes as the county’s population soared. She ran unopposed for twenty years. During her second twenty years, she met Republican opposition, but always won decisively. Easter Lily was a 65-year member of the First United Methodist Church and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star (O.E.S) Chapter #59 (Mason Fraternal Organization), the Zonta Club, the American Bussiness Women’s Association (A.B.W.A.), and the Pioneer Club. She was active in the Water Seal Campaign and was also a member of the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce. Easter Lily Gates storing election returns in the vault at the Broward County Court house. History Fort Lauderdale Photograph Collection

Created By

eandrews@historyfortlauderdale.org

Create Date

November 28, 2023

Updated By

eandrews@historyfortlauderdale.org

Update Date

November 28, 2023