Guide to the Sophie Masloff Papers, 1977-1992
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- Sophie Masloff Papers
- Creator
- Masloff, Sophie.
- Collection Number
- MSS#589
- Extent
- .25 linear feet linear feet (1 box)
- Date
- 1977-1992
- Abstract
- Sophie Masloff was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 23, 1917. A long time member of the Democratic Party, Masloff was elected to City Council in 1976 and later served as president of the Council. Following the death of Mayor Richard Caliguiri, she became mayor and then was elected to the position in 1988, at the age of seventy. She was the first Jew and the first woman to hold that position in Pittsburgh. The collection consists of newspaper and magazine articles on Masloff, a program from her 1990 inauguration, and a photographic print, with the accompanying negative, depicting her being sworn in as Mayor of Pittsburgh in 1990.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
- 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
History
Sophie Masloff was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on December 23, 1917, to Romanian-Jewish immigrants Louis and Jennie Friedman. She graduated from Fifth Avenue High School in 1935, and subsequently worked as a secretary in several county government jobs. Within three years, she became a clerk in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, and she remained in that position for thirty-eight years. A long-time member of the Democratic Party, Masloff was elected to Pittsburgh City Council in 1976 and later served as president of the Council. She was reelected in 1977, 1981, and 1985.
As president of the City Council, Masloff became mayor in 1988, at the age of seventy, following the death of Mayor Richard Caliguiri. She was elected to the position in 1990 and served until January 3, 1994. Masloff was the first Jew and the first woman to hold that position in Pittsburgh. Some of her accomplishments included the privatization of costly city assets, including the Pittsburgh Zoo, the National Aviary, Phipps Conservatory, and the Schenley Park Golf Course; the refurbishment of Market Square; and implementation of the Remote Water Meter Program. She also addressed the issues of urban decay, a shrinking industrial sector, and crumbling infrastructure.
In 2007, Pittsburgh celebrated her ninetieth birthday by designating the corner of West General Robinson and Federal Streets near PNC Park as "Sophie Masloff Way."
Scope and Content Notes
The Sophie Masloff Papers consists of five file folders, which include newspaper and magazine articles about Sophie Masloff, a program from her inauguration, and a photographic print, with the accompanying negative, depicting her being sworn in as Mayor of Pittsburgh in 1990.
Conditions Governing Access
No Restrictions
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Sophie Masloff on July 22, 1996.
Preferred Citation
Sophie Masloff Papers, 1977-1992, MSS#589, Rauh Jewish Archives, Library and Archives Division, Senator John Heinz History Center
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Megan E. Rentschler in July 30, 2011.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.
Related Materials
None
Separated Materials
None
Subjects
- Masloff, Sophie, 1917-
- Jews -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Pittsburgh (Pa.) Mayor
- Jewish Archives