Janet Gray (Frazee) Hayes was born in 1926 in Rushville, Indiana, the second of two daughters born to John P. Frazee, Jr. and Lucile Charman Gray Frazee. In 1948, she graduated magna cum laude with a A.B. in Liberal Arts. After graduation, she received a scholarship to attend the University of Chicago, where she graduated with a master's degree in Social Service Administration, again magna cum laude. While attending graduate school she met Kenneth Hayes, a medical student, and in 1950 they were married. While her husband Kenneth completed his medical degree, Hayes took a position as a psychiatric social worker in Chicago, where she witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of poverty in the communities she served. Following the conclusion of his residency, the Hayes family moved to San Jose, California, where Dr. Hayes accepted a position at the Agnew State Hospital. Daughters Katherine and Megan were both born in San Jose. By the 1960s, Hayes became an important member of the San Jose Redevelopment Agency and later served as its first female chair. She was also the first woman appointed to the local YMCA board of directors. Her experiences in predominantly male agencies led her to run for a seat on the city council in attempt to provide a voice for other women in San Jose. Her civic involvement paid off and she was elected to a four-year term on the San Jose City Council. Hayes served as a council member from 1971 until 1973, and from 1973 to 1974 she served as vice mayor under Mayor Norman Mineta.
In 1974 Hayes decided to run for mayor of San Jose. Hayes ran on a platform of controlled growth, urging voters to "make San Jose better before we make it bigger." . Hayes won the race, earning 1,667 votes more than her opponent, former chief of detectives, Bart Collins. With this victory, Hayes became the first woman to be elected mayor of a large American city. In terms of policy, she championed controlled urban growth, restored historic buildings, and helped transform San Jose into a model city. Hayes received tremendous publicity as the first female mayor of San Jose, and nationally as Santa Clara County edged into the national political landscape as the "Feminist Capital of the World." By the time she left office in 1983, Hayes had blazed a trail for women in politics throughout the Santa Clara Valley and indeed the nation. Though she never went on to run for another public post, Hayes continued to serve the public. After her tenure as mayor, Hayes was active with the San Jose Art Museum, and served on many boards and councils, including the Association of Bay Area Governments, and the Santa Clara County Intergovernmental Council. She also served as a community and customer relations director for a consulting firm that served the high-tech industry in the Silicon Valley. Hayes' greatest legacy remains her support of women in local government, and her commitment to gender equality.
From the description of Janet Gray Hayes papers, 1914-2003 (bulk 1974-1982). (San Jose Public Library). WorldCat record id: 174054164
