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A HISTORY OF OUR FIRST SPOUSES

The following highlights Denver's Mayoral First Spouses and their historical significance. 

Please click on "Biography" to learn more in-depth about each First Spouse's life and accomplishments.

Pauline Harris Moore

First Lady 1859-1861

Wife of Hon. John C. Moore, the 1st Mayor of Denver. The very First Lady of Denver.

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Sarah Hays
McLaughlin Steck

First Lady 1863-1865

Wife of Honorable Amos Steck, the third Mayor of Denver. 

Katherine M. Goss Clark

First Lady 1865-1866

Wife of Honorary George T. Clark, the 5th Mayor of Denver

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Amelia Stemm Delano

First Lady 1866-1868

Wife of Honorary Milton Delano, the 6th Mayor of Denver.

Catherine Jones Clayton

First Lady 1868-1869

Wife of Honorable William M. Clayton, the 7th Mayor of Denver.

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Caroline J. Stiles

First Lady 1869-1871

Wife of Honorable Baxter B. Stiles, the 8th Mayor of Denver.

Margaret S. Harper

First Lady 1871-1872

Wife of Honorable John Harper, the 9th Mayor of Denver.

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Cordelia E. Bates

First Lady 1872-1873  |  1885-1887

Wife of Honorable Joseph E. Bates, the 10th and 18th Mayor of Denver.

Rebecca C. Steck Barker

First Lady 1874-1876

Wife of Honorable William J. Barker, the 12th Mayor of Denver.

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Caroline Deforest Buckingham

First Lady 1876-1877

Wife of Honorable Richard Green Buckingham, the 13th Mayor of Denver.

Sarah Woodward Stiles

First Lady 1878

Wife of Honorable Baxter B. Stiles, the 14th Mayor of Denver.

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Elizabeth Allen Sopris

First Lady 1878-1881

Wife of Honorable Richard Sopris, the 15th Mayor of Denver.

Julia O'Connor Morris

First Lady 1881-183

Wife of Honorable Robert Morris, the 16th Mayor of Denver.

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Eliza Pickrell Routt

First Lady 1883-1885

Wife of Honorable John Routt, the 17th Mayor of Denver.

Sallie Hesser Lee

First Lady 1887-1889

Wife of Honorable William Scott Lee, the 19th Mayor of Denver.

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Frances Anthony Londoner

First Lady 1889-1891

Wife of Honorable Wolfe Londoner, the 20th Mayor of Denver.

Margaret D. Rogers

First Lady 1891-1893

Wife of Honorable Platt Rogers, the 21st Mayor of Denver.

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Martha Bell Van Horn

First Lady 1893-1895

Wife of Honorable M. D. Van Horn, the 22nd Mayor of Denver.

Sarah Jane McMurray

First Lady 1895-1899

Wife of Honorable Thomas S. McMurray, the 23rd Mayor of Denver.

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Mary Berry Gurley Johnson

First Lady 1899-1901

Wife of Honorable Henry V. Johnson, the 24th Mayor of Denver.

Mollie E. Cooke Wright

First Lady 1901-1904

Wife of Honorable Robert R. Wright, the 24th Mayor of Denver.

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Kate Thrush Speer

First Lady 1904-1912  |  1916-1918

Wife of Honorable Robert W. Speer, the 26th and 30th Mayor of Denver.

Clara B. Avery Arnold

First Lady 1912-1913

Wife of Honorable Henry J. Arnold, the 27th Mayor of Denver.

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Hattie Montague Perkins

First Lady 1913-1915

Wife of Honorable J. M. Perkins, the 28th Mayor of Denver.

Corwina Rouse Mills

First Lady 1918-1919

Wife of Honorable William Fitz Randolph Mills, the31st Mayor of Denver.

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Adella Brown Bailey

First Lady 1919-1923

Wife of Honorable Dewey C. Bailey, the 32nd Mayor of Denver.

Mabel Freeland Stapleton

First Lady 1923-1931  |  1935-1947

Wife of Honorable Benjamin F. Stapleton, the 33rd and 35thMayor of Denver.

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Ethel B. Waldo Begole

First Lady 1931-1935

Wife of Honorable George D. Begole, the 34th Mayor of Denver. 

Virginia Shafroth Newton

First Lady 1947-1955

Wife of Honorable J. Quigg Newton, the 36th Mayor of Denver.

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Gladys Burns Nicholson

First Lady 1955-1959

Wife of the Honorable Will Nicholson, Sr., the 37th Mayor of Denver

Vera Mahr Batterton

First Lady 1959-1963

Wife of Honorable Richard Batterton, the 38th Mayor of Denver.

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Trudi Curtis Currigan

First Lady 1963-1968

Wife of Honorable Thomas Currigan, the 39th Mayor of Denver.

Rita Laverne McNichols

First Lady 1968-1982

Wife of Honorable William H. McNichols, Jr., the 40th Mayor of Denver.

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Ellen Hart Peña

First Lady 1983-1991

Wife of the Honorable Federico Peña, the 41st Mayor of Denver.

Honorable Wilma J. Webb

First Lady 1991-2003

Wife of the Honorable Wellington Webb, the 42nd Mayor of Denver.

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Helen Thorpe

First Lady 2003-2011

Wife of Honorable John W. Hickenlooper, the 43rd Mayor of Denver.

Gabriela Cornejo Figueroa

First Lady Jan 2021-Jul 2021

Wife of Honorable Bill Vidal, the 44th Mayor of Denver.

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Mary Louise Lee

First Lady Jul 2011-2021

Wife of the Honorable Michael B. Hancock, the 45th Mayor of Denver.

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