Biography

In January 1973, Foley, a divorced mother of five, surviving on welfare, ran for a spot on the school board of Taft, Oklahoma

Taft, Oklahoma

Taft is a town in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 349 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Taft is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....

, an all-black town of 600 people. She lost the election, but shortly thereafter she became inspired by a book on the successful election of A. J. Cooper as mayor of Pritchard, Alabama. Raising $200 dollars from interested parties, she ran for the town’s top job.

On April 3, 1973, the citizens of Taft

Taft, Oklahoma

Taft is a town in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 349 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Taft is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....

 elected Foley as mayor. In doing so, she became the first African American female mayor in United States history. Her election pre-dates that of Doris A. Davis

Doris A. Davis

Doris A. Davis is a former mayor of Compton, California, who earned a place in history as the first African-American woman mayor of a metropolitan city in the United States.-Political career:...

, who was elected mayor of Compton, California

Compton, California

Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...

 later that year.

In the wake of her victory, Foley would confer with Presidents Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford

Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...

 and Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...

. In 1974, Oklahoma named Foley Outstanding Woman of the Year.

After losing her mayoral seat in the 1980s, she continued to serve her community. In 2000, now known as Lelia Foley-Davis, she regained her position as mayor. Later that year, she ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Oklahoma House of Representatives

Oklahoma House of Representatives

The Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members are responsible for introducing and voting on bills and resolutions, providing legislative oversight for state agencies, and helping to craft the...

.