Uccello, Ann, 1922-

<p>Antonina "Ann" P. Uccello (born May 19, 1922) was elected mayor of Hartford, Connecticut in 1967. She was the first female mayor in Connecticut.</p>

<p>Uccello was an executive at the Hartford department store G. Fox & Co.. She approached her boss in 1963 and said she would like to run for Hartford city council. Since the council met on Mondays, a day the department store was closed, her boss gave her permission to run. She served two terms on the council before being elected mayor in 1967. She ran as a Republican in a mainly Democratic Party city, and remains the city's last Republican mayor to date. She was re-elected as mayor in 1969, and was subsequently asked by President Richard Nixon to go to Washington to work in the U.S. Department of Transportation, where she later also worked during the successive administrations of presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.</p>

<p>She was inducted into the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame in 1999. A street was dedicated in her name in Hartford in September 2008. A street was dedicated in her name in Canicattini Bagni, Italy, in July 2016.</p>

<p>When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., on April 4, 1968, city streets all over the United States were filled with riots as people were deeply affected by the loss of such a strong leader, outraged by the violence sweeping the nation, and fearful of its consequences. In Hartford, Mayor Antonina Uccello helped city residents find peace and comfort in a troubled time. “Mayor Ann,” as she was known, quelled demonstrations and spent the night visiting with residents in the street, connecting with her constituents and helping to ease the pain and confusion surrounding Dr. King’s loss. As the first woman in Connecticut to be elected mayor of a municipality, Uccello’s career in Hartford politics blended leadership and care for the city’s people, earning her much respect.</p>

<p>Antonina Uccello was born and raised in Hartford, Conn., and was the second of five daughters in a closely-knit Italian family. Always hardworking, Uccello graduated with honors from both Weavers High School and St. Joseph College. Her interest in politics led her to pursue graduate work in American government at Trinity College and at the University of Connecticut Law School. Uccello taught high school history before entering the business world, working in a variety of management positions at G. Fox & Company, Hartford’s leading department store. It was during this time, working in close quarters with Beatrice Fox Auerbach, that Uccello’s dreams began moving in the direction of politics. Auerbach was one of Uccello’s biggest supporters, encouraging her to pursue political office. When Republican Uccello ran successfully for a seat on the Democratically-controlled Hartford City Council in 1963, Auerbach even predicted, “Dear, you’re going to be mayor of the city one day.”</p>

<p>During her time on the City Council, Uccello chaired several key committees and quickly rose through the political ranks. By 1967, she was ready to run for mayor. In an upset victory over Hartford’s incumbent mayor George Kinsella, Uccello became not only the first woman mayor of any Connecticut municipality, but also Hartford’s first Republican mayor since World War II. She was also the only female to head a major U.S. city during the turbulent Civil Rights era. Uccello’s inaugural address promised a liberal social agenda combined with fiscal conservatism. Her many proposals included legislation protecting children from lead poisoning, creating low- and moderate-income housing in and outside the city, and establishing an Info-Mobile to travel the city with news of jobs and services. Uccello received national attention for her leadership and in a 1970 poll, 81 percent of the Greater Hartford public approved of her job performance. She was even voted Connecticut's second most favorite political personality after Senator Abraham Ribicoff.</p>