Frances Dias, who served as Palo Alto’s first female mayor during one the city’s most politically turbulent periods, died on Nov. 9, according to her family.
She was 100.
A Wisconsin native, Dias spent decades of her life shaping public policy as a City Council member, a Congressional legislative aide and, more recently, as a planning commissioner in Santa Rosa, where she lived the last several decades of her life. She was also active on regional bodies such as the Association of Bay Area Governments and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.
She made an indelible mark on Palo Alto in 1966, when she became the first female council member to be elected mayor. The election came at a time when the 13-member council was split into two political camps, known informally as the “establishment” and “residentialist.”
The former controlled seven seats and supported more growth and development; the latter held the other six seats and championed environmental conservation and retention of the city’s small-scale residential character.
“Sometimes they couldn’t agree to accept minutes of the previous meeting,” author Ward Winslow wrote in his book “Palo Alto: A Centennial History.”
“Council meetings ran long and late, and decisions were delayed for weeks because the members could not compose their differences, particularly on issues related to land use and growth,” Winslow wrote.
Enid Pearson, who served on the council at that time, recalled Dias as an intelligent and pragmatic council member who was better versed in council procedures than most of her colleagues. Even those on the opposite side of the political spectrum respected her for her ability to steer a council that wasn’t always easy to lead, Pearson said.
Dias’ leadership skills and understanding of the political process made it easy for her colleagues to support her for the council’s top leadership position at a time when female mayors were unheard of. All 31 individuals who had served as Palo Alto mayors before her were men.
“She was a pretty smart lady,” Pearson said in an interview. “We used to say she was the smartest of the bunch because she was a woman.”
Pearson, an ardent residentialist, was on the other side of the political divide from Dias, who was aligned with the establishment. Even so, Pearson said she had great respect for Dias and did not object to her becoming mayor. Pearson recalled her own early days in politics, when the more seasoned Dias showed her around City Hall and pointed out the way to the city manager’s office, the restroom and the water fountain.
She also recalled the day she, Dias and other council members toured Palo Alto’s first high-rise development, a 15-story office building at 525 University Ave., which was completed in 1966.
“We were in an elevator and looking out over Palo Alto. It was quite a view. And she said, ‘Isn’t it just beautiful and wonderful that we can have a high-rise in Palo Alto?’ I remember we were standing there and it really was spectacular,” Pearson said.
Though the two fought opposing battles (Dias was more focused on creating more buildings with beautiful views, while Pearson devoted her political career to conserving the beautiful landscapes being viewed), Pearson said Dias was an effective mayor who knew how to get things done at a time when many other council members weren’t as skilled in the art of legislating.
“Frances knew what she wanted and she knew how to do it. … We knew she would do things correctly. And if you did things correctly, you’d get things done,” Pearson said.
Voters generally agreed. Palo Alto’s political schism ruptured during the council recall campaign of 1967, when the “establishment” side strengthened its foothold on the council. (Pearson was one of just two residentialist candidates who retained their seats.)
According to an account from PaloAltoHistory.org by local historian Matt Bowling, establishment candidates like Dias moderated their image by positioning themselves as advocates for a “balanced community” and by vowing to maintain the “residential character of the city.” Dias promised to be a “a vote to unify a fragmented city,” according to the account.
But Dias’ elevation to mayor in 1966, which Pearson said felt “inevitable,” was unprecedented in Palo Alto and rare for the entire region. Mountain View didn’t see its first female mayor until 1975, when Judith Moss was elected to the role. Menlo Park’s first female mayor, Peg Gunn, assumed the role in 1981.
Steve Staiger, Palo Alto’s historian, said that Dias was “at the forefront of something that started to change.” While Palo Alto had several female council members before Dias, including two before World War II, female council members generally did not take on leadership roles.
After the war, the city saw an influx of new residents, including people who worked for Hewlett Packard and other ascendant tech companies. Joseph Eichler was building affordable homes, and the city was attracting people who were more open to women participating in politics, Staiger said.
He cited as an example Rosalynn Carter, who is credited for transforming the role of the first lady by being a valued adviser to President Jimmy Carter, which included sitting in on Cabinet meetings.
Staiger said Dias had a reputation for being “honorable” in her conduct with council colleagues.
“If she said she was going to do something or said she was going to support you, she would do it, and she wouldn’t pull her punches,” Dias said.
Looking beyond city borders
Even as a Palo Alto council member, Dias looked well beyond her city’s borders. She spearheaded the city’s Neighbors Abroad program and helped establish Palo Alto’s “sister city” relationship with Oaxaca, Mexico, which remains strong to this day. Gail Woolley, who in 1987 became Palo Alto’s third female mayor, recalled spending time with Dias when they were roommates on a trip to another sister city: Palo, Philippines.
Woolley described Dias as a confident person who knew what she wanted.
“When she said something, you felt like that was probably right. She knew what she was talking about,” Woolley said. “And she was decisive. She didn’t waiver in her opinions.”
Dias’ involvement in policy making also extended past city borders. As Palo Alto mayor, she served on the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, according to her obituary. She then became staff liaison for former U.S. Rep. Charles Gubser and then took on leadership roles at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, including 10 years as national director, according to her obituary. After retiring, she returned to local service by joining the Santa Rosa planning commission.
In Palo Alto, her influence can be gleaned from the wall of mayoral photos hanging in the Council Chambers. The first 31 are men. Then there’s Dias in 1966. Then more men until 1983, when Betsy Bechtel became mayor. After that, photos of women become more common, with Palo Alto selecting 12 female mayors since Dias, including one – Liz Kniss – who filled the leadership role three times.
“Those of us who came later certainly admired her for having managed to get elected mayor so early in the game,” Woolley said. “We certainly looked up to her for accomplishing that.”