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Born April 20, 1926, in Cheyenne, WY
Died January 27, 2015, in Cheyenne, WY
When Liz Byrd applied for a teaching job in 1949, she was turned down due to her race, despite being one of the only applicants with a college degree. She persisted, and her subsequent teaching career spanned 37 years. In 1981, she ran for office in the Wyoming House of Representatives and became the first Black legislator elected since Wyoming achieved statehood in 1890. After four terms, she was elected to the Wyoming State Senate, where she served two terms. During her time in office, she worked toward passing key legislation that created and expanded social services for Wyoming’s citizens.