First woman elected to state executive committee and the state Democratic Party chair
Tillett describes how she became involved in state politics and in the national Democratic Party. In 1932, Tillett served as a delegate to the Democratic convention, where she saw Franklin Delano Roosevelt accept the Democratic nomination for president. Around the same time, Tillett became one of the first women appointed to serve on the state executive committee and later went on to serve as the state chairman of the North Carolina Democratic Party. When she became involved in partisan politics, Tillett resigned her position of leadership within the League of Women Voters, although it was her work with the League that had garnered the recognition and experience that enabled her to become more involved in politics.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Gladys Avery Tillett, March 20, 1974. Interview G-0061. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- JACQUELYN HALL:
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Were there any other women on the state executive committee?
- GLADYS AVERY TILLETT:
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There had been a woman who preceded me but I think I was the only one
from Mecklenburg County when appointed… I'm not sure about
predecessers… As time went by the number of women on the
state committee increased.
- JACQUELYN HALL:
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But you were the first active, independent woman.
- GLADYS AVERY TILLETT:
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I think I was one of the first active independent women from Mecklenburg
County and I think it helped the cause of women to have me appointed. I
think there were token appointments of women when women's suffrage first
came… In 1932 my husband and I went to Raleigh for the state
convention. I was going to learn about political state conventions and
my husband … we were sitting in the auditorium and this
same Mr. Jones, our county chairman, that made me
precinct member got up when they were having nominations. And all
unknown to me the state party had decided to have four women serve as
delegates to the '32 convention when Roosevelt was nominated. Presently
nominations for delegates to the National Convention got under way
… I thought Mr. Hamilton Jones came to the platform during
nominations … I asked my husband, "Who is he
nominating?" and about that time Mr. Jones said "She
was born in Burke County and reared in Burke County and now is a citizen
of Charlotte. Mrs. Gladys Tillett." Well, it was a complete
surprise to me… and my husband, too, because we didn't know
anything about it. And they nominated Mrs. Palmer German and Miss
Elliott, Professor Harriett Elliott, and a woman from western North
Carolina. She was active. And four women were nominated for delegates to
the National Convention in Chicago. It was a great experience. We felt
all women elected should go, and we went, and Franklin D. Roosevelt was
nominated as candidate for President of the United States on the
Democratic ticket. Both men and women were moved, sometimes to tears, as
he came forward on crutches to address the convention.
- JACQUELYN HALL:
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Were you a strong Roosevelt supporter all through the period?
- GLADYS AVERY TILLETT:
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Oh yes, I served as Reporter Chairman for N.C., an organization plan to
acquaint state and local party leaders with the Roosevelt program, the
New Deal. Molly Dewson, head of the National
Democratic Division, set up the Reporter Plan to inform county and
precinct leaders about the New Deal. I headed each unit in party
organization as vice-chairman, and through the process I was aware that
a woman's holding office would demonstrate a woman could serve as head
of each unit in party organization. It would be less difficult to get
women into positions of political leadership. So I had gained a broad
experience. Not every state had given women the recognition that came to
North Carolina women in 1932 by including them in the various units of
party organization. But I did not think that it was hard to do and it
was a great advantage to come up from the ranks. That is to take each
step and see what is being done. I resigned as President of the League
when I got into state politics but but kept my interest and stayed in
the League program. And then I, of course, was active in that campaign
after Roosevelt was nominated. Later on I became N.C. state
vice-chairman of the Democratic Party. I resigned as vice chairman of
the Democratic Committee in 1926 to run the National Speakers Bureau. It
was an interesting experience. I learned about prejudice in a campaign
and worked hard over the religious issue. This gave me a background of
experience in dealing with prejudice, then going to the national
convention in 1932 was very stimulating and built a wider experience.
Because, of course, it was very exciting and interesting, and then of
course Prof. Elliot being there, you see, my teacher, and others, older
women. It was an interesting and very exciting
experience. The high spot was when Roosevelt was nominated and came to
the Convention to accept the nomination. It was a first for the nominee
to accept in person. And of course he captivated the country and
captivated the delegates. And then, later on… being a
delegate … I got acquainted with some of the national
leaders. And …
- JACQUELYN HALL:
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National women?
- GLADYS AVERY TILLETT:
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Yes, national women leaders. Molly Dewson was a woman who was commander
of the forces of women for Roosevelt, national vice chairman. She was a
graduate of Wellesley College and a leader in public movements and she
became vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee. So, as state
vice chairman I got acquainted with her. And Dewson asked me to serve as
N.C. Chairman of the Reporter Plan. She was trying to have a program
called the Reporter Plan. And it aimed to get women interested and
informed on the New Deal. So that sort of fit into my League of Women
Voters background of studying issues—the focus was on the
Democratic Party program. So I went … after I was elected, I
went in many counties in North Carolina, and I remember that my local
county chairman, a man, went all the way to Raleigh to nominate me when
I ran as candidate for N.C. State Chairman of the Democratic Party,
which indicates the sort of interest and respect that he had for the
women's movement, and the leadership of women in the party setup. And he
said that you can take into account the experience of your women
candidates for vice-chairman, but he said "But
I have a woman that's carried her precinct in Mecklenburg
Co. for Al Smith in 1928. And I thought I ought to offer her for state
vice chairman." That was a recommendation electing a woman to
organize N.C. I'd done it in a precinct and shown I could do it, and
"elections are won in the precinct" became my motto,
and later the motto of the Women's Division of the Democratic National
Committee. I did get elected, and then I became acquainted, you see,
with the national people. And I suggested having regional conferences
for the women. And … of course I'd taken the idea to the
national committee. And they did. They had a regional conference in
Virginia and later in Alabama and in Mississippi. And I, of course, was
interested in reaching women in other states and helping in any thing
possible. I remember one thing we were worried about in Virginia was how
we could endorse social security and not offend Senator Byrd! There was
an uncertainty about the … from the standpoint of his state
women leaders very carefully approached…