From collection Candidates
Julia Harrington Duff was one of the first women of Irish heritage to be elected to the Boston, Massachusetts School Committee. She was first elected in 1901 and championed the cause of the growing immigrant population in the city by fighting for affordable advanced education for teachers of all backgrounds. Duff was partially successful in her political career because she could rely on the vote of Irish women in Boston. But by 1905 she faced opposition from the Irish Ward political bosses over struggles for power. Duff ran as an independent candidate School Committee in 1906, and made a good showing, but did not win another term in office
