Inventory of the Catherine R. Dobbs Papers, 1932-1973

Biography of Biography or History

Catherine Rose Biggs Dobbs, known as "the first lady of Barberton," was born in Shreve (Wayne County), Ohio around 1908 to a fifth generation Ohio family, the only girl out of seven children. Her grandparents were involved in the planning and development of Barberton, Ohio in 1890, a year before the city was founded by Akron industrialist Ohio Columbus "O.C." Barber. Dobbs received her education in Barberton public schools and graduated from Barberton High School. She then attended night school for a brief period at The University of Akron studying journalism and political science, but did not graduate. She also attended Ohio State University where she took coursework in philosophy, government, and history. It was at this time that she became interested in studying Ohio, and more specifically, Barberton history. While in Columbus she worked as an index clerk in the Ohio House of Representatives and a researcher in the Ohio Legislative Library.

Catherine Dobbs' husband, Roy K. Dobbs, a Barberton pharmacist and Democrat, served as Mayor of Barberton from 1942 to 1947. Dobbs wrote her only book during her husband's last year as mayor, Freedom's Will: The Society of the Separatists of Zoar-An Historical Adventure of Religious Communism in Ohio (New York: Frederick Press, 1947). In 1937, Mrs. Dobbs was involved in the Grapho-Analysis project at Marysville Prison for Women, now known as the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville, Ohio.

Dobbs started her political career in 1948 by running for the Ohio Senate as a Democrat. She won the seat becoming the first woman to represent her district and reportedly one of only eight women in state legislatures in the United States at that time. During her tenure in the senate from 1949-1950, Dobbs served as Chair of the Public Health Committee, Vice Chair of the Elections and Federal Relations Committee, and Vice Chair of the Ohio Program Commission of the Agricultural Committee. She also served on the Taxation, Finance, and Public Works committees and the Ohio Sesquicentennial Commission Executive Board and participated in the Midwest Regional Conference of the Council of State Governments. Dobbs worked hard in the senate, but was not re-elected to a second term. In 1956, Dobbs campaigned on an anti-gambling and anti-pornography platform and was elected Mayor of Barberton, her husband's old job. She was the first and only female mayor of Barberton and reportedly the first woman mayor of a major industrial city. She was re-elected twice, serving three consecutive terms until 1961. During her time as mayor, Dobbs engaged in strong anti-gambling and anti-pornography campaigns in the city of Barberton, promoted community improvement through home inspections, and helped the city grow in size and population. She also oversaw the annexation of the A.O. Austin estate, which included the original O.C. Barber Mansion and other important areas. During her tenure, Dobbs also was a member of the National Counference of Mayors and served as a member of the committee of municipal affairs at the request of President John F. Kennedy. Her greatest accomplishments as mayor include the completion of State Route 224 through the city, building the Tuscarawas viaduct, eliminating commercial racketeering, and eradicating the squatters' shacks along the Ohio & Erie Canal.

From 1962 through 1972 Dobbs continuously sought political office, unsuccessfully running for Secretary of State, seats in the Ohio House of Representatives and the U.S. House of Representatives, and Barberton mayor. In each case she was defeated in the Democratic primaries. Though Dobbs never again held public office, she was extremely active in a number of organizations and championed many causes. In 1967, she received a United Nations Fellowship Award and a grant to study the status of women in the UN. A long-time and ardent supporter of women in politics, Dobbs remained active in the Federated Democratic Women's Club of Summit County (serving as president in 1937), the Business and Professional Women's Club of Barberton, the Ohio League of Senior Citizens, Akron Women's City Club, and the Akron Art Institute. She also was an active lecturer on her experiences in public office and her research in Ohio and Barberton history and waged an unsuccessful attempt to preserve Barberton's O.C. Barber Mansion, the historic home and estate of the town's founder. Dobbs died in 1974 and had no children. 1

1 Information for this biographical sketch was taken from several sources including Phyllis Taylor's 100 Years of Magic: The Story of Barberton, Ohio, 1891-1991 (Barberton, OH: Barberton Public Library, 1991) and Talk of the Town: Stories from the Barberton Herald (Barberton, OH: Barberton Public Library, 1991) and Kathleen Endres, "Catherine Rose Biggs Dobbs, 1908-1974," Akron Women's History Website, accessed on October 31, 2012, http://www3.uakron.edu/schlcomm/womenshistory/dobbs_c.htm.

Scope and Content

The Catherine R. Dobbs Papers consist of correspondence, financial reports, manuscripts, maps and diagrams, newspaper clippings, photographs, proclamations, reports, publications, and lectures and speeches. The papers document Dobbs' time in the Ohio State Senate and as Mayor of Barberton. They also document her various political campaigns and her her life after politics, especially her lectures and speeches and the numerous charities and organizations on which she served. The inclusive dates represented by the materials are 1932-1973, but the bulk of the materials fall between 1949-1962. The papers are comprised of nine series arranged topically and chronologically, the largest focuses on Dobbs' service as Mayor of Barberton.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. Permission to reproduce or publish materials in this collection must be secured in writing from Archival Services, University Libraries, The University of Akron.

Restrictions on Access

No restrictions on access; except not available through interlibrary loan. Copyright restrictions may apply. Permission to reproduce or publish materials in this collection must be secured in writing from Archival Services, University Libraries, The University of Akron.

Indexing Terms

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Preferred Citation

[Identification of Item], Catherine R. Dobbs Papers, Archival Services, University Libraries, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio.

Detailed Description of The Collection