Marian B. Towne

In 1914 Marian B. Towne successfully campaigned on the Democratic ticket for the Oregon state house of representatives. She represented Jackson County. Women received the vote in Oregon in 1912, and 1914 was the first year that women were eligible to seek state legislative office. Towne campaigned actively, visiting many households in her effort to win. In the same year Kathryn Clarke won a seat in the Oregon Senate. Towne served on three standing committees including Education, Health, and Public Morals, and Salaries. She sought reelection in 1916 but was defeated. Towne was born in Oregon, and educated there. She worked as an assistant county clerk in Medford, Oregon with responsibilities for reviewing laws. This interested her in reading law which she did in Oregon and, for a semester, at the University of Michigan law school. During World War I she served with the Naval Reserve Corps. She sought a regular commission but was not considered eligible because of her sex.