Charlotte Whitton
Charlotte Whitton (March 8, 1896-January 25, 1975) is a noted Canadian feminist and mayor of Ottawa. She was the first female mayor of a city in Canada serving from 1951-1956 and again from 1960-1964.
Whitton attended Queen's University where she was the star of the women's hockey team and was known as the fastest skater in the league. From Queen's she became the director of the Canadian Council on Social Welfare and helped bring about a wide array of new legislation to help children.
Despite her strong views on women's equality Whitton was a strong social conservative and did not support making divorce easier.
She became well known for her assertiveness and for her vicious wit with which many male colleagues, and once the Lord Mayor of London were attacked. She is famous for the quotation: "Whatever women do they must do twice as well as men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult."
Whitton never married, and in recent years there has been some speculation that she was a lesbian, but this remains unsubstantied.
Referenced By
1975 in Canada | List of Ottawa Mayors
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