Strauss, Annette, 1924-1998

Annette Louise Greenfield Strauss (January 26, 1924 – December 14, 1998) was an American philanthropist and politician who served as the 55th mayor of Dallas, Texas. She was the city's second female mayor and second Jewish mayor and the first woman elected in her own right.

Born in Houston, Texas, she graduated from the University of Texas at Austin before earning master's degrees in sociology and psychology from Columbia University. She worked as a Red Cross social worker in Houston for a year until she married Ted Strauss, Sr. Managing Director of Bear Stearns, in 1946 and moved to Dallas in 1947. During the 1960s and 1970s, Strauss worked tirelessly as a fundraiser for various charities and organizations and also as a volunteer for a number of other organizations. She worked on behalf of the Dallas Symphony, the Crystal Charity Ball, Southern Methodist University, the United Way of America, the United Jewish Appeal, the Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Baylor University Medical Center and many other groups. Using her many connections in the city, Strauss was elected to a Dallas City Council seat in 1983. She became deputy mayor pro tem and then mayor pro tem in 1984. In 1987, Strauss ran for mayor of Dallas and won with 56 percent of the vote.

During her tenure as mayor, Strauss helped to lead a city suffering from a sharp economic downturn. Strauss was known for her ability to build consensus across economic and political strata. Dallas Morning News columnist Henry Tatum noted that, Mrs. Strauss would persuade some of the more recalcitrant business leaders during the '80s by putting a soft hand on their sleeve and gently imploring, "Now, honey, do it for Dallas." Annette Strauss left her mayoral duties behind in 1991 and then worked as a public relations consultant for Levenson, Levenson & Hill of Irving. Subsequently, she was appointed Ambassador-at-Large for the city of Dallas, a position she held until her death there on December 14, 1998.

Strauss was buried in Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Dallas.