Constance "Connie" McCready born Constance Averill (1921—2000) is a journalist and politician from Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

, in the United States. She held several elected offices in Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

 during her career, including a serving in the Oregon Legislature, the Portland City Council

Government of Portland, Oregon

The Government of Portland, Oregon, a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, is based on a city commission government system. Elected officials include a Mayor, a City Council, and a City Auditor. The mayor and commissioners are responsible legislative policy and oversee the various bureaus that...

, and culminating with a partial term as Portland's mayor.

Early life

She was born in Pendleton, Oregon

Pendleton, Oregon

Pendleton is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Pendleton was named in 1868 by the county commissioners for George H. Pendleton, Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1864 presidential campaign. The population was 16,612 at the 2010 census...

 on August 21, 1921 the daughter of conservationist Edgar Francis Averill. The family would move to Portland and she graduated from Grant High School. McCready graduated from the University of Oregon

University of Oregon

-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...

 in 1943. After college she worked as a reporter for The Oregonian

The Oregonian

The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...

, Portland's main daily newspaper. In 1945, she married Albert L. McCready and the two would have three daughters. In addition to working for The Oregonian, she also was an editor for Home & Garden magazine.

Politics

In 1967 and 1969, she served in the Oregon House of Representatives

Oregon House of Representatives

The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....

 as a Republican representing Portland.
In 1978, she had rock musician Ted Nugent banned from playing in Portland's Memorial Coliseum, citing some concert-goers rowdiness and her displeasure to some of his music, notably the song, "Wang Dang Sweet Poon Tang." The ban lasted 3 years, and Nugent repeatedly dedicated the song to her at future shows.

In 1979, McCready was appointed to the position of mayor in Portland upon Neil Goldschmidt

Neil Goldschmidt

Neil Edward Goldschmidt is an American businessman and former Democratic politician from Oregon who held local, state, and federal offices over three decades. After serving as the governor of Oregon, Goldschmidt is widely considered the most influential figure in the state's politics, both as an...

's resignation to become United States Secretary of Transportation

United States Secretary of Transportation

The United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation, a member of the President's Cabinet, and fourteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966,...

 in the Carter Administration. She was the second of three women to hold the post. McCready was mayor during the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens

1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, a stratovolcano located in Washington state, in the United States, was a major volcanic eruption. The eruption was the only significant one to occur in the contiguous 48 U.S. states since the 1915 eruption of Lassen Peak in California...

 when Portland was blanketed by ash on three occasions, and eventually threatened businesses with fines if they failed to remove the ash from their parking lots. She was defeated in the May 1980 primary by Frank Ivancie

Frank Ivancie

Francis J. "Frank" Ivancie is a retired Portland, Oregon businessman and politician who served as mayor of that city from 1981 through 1985. Prior to his term as mayor, Ivancie served for fourteen years on the Portland City Council...

, whose succession to the office took effect the following January, at which point McCready retired from politics.

A Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

, she was noted for her maverick political views which often deviated from the party line, including staunch support of the Equal Rights Amendment

Equal Rights Amendment

The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...

 and gay rights.

McCready died in 2000 of complications from a stroke.