Mary Virginia Beck 1908-2005

The first woman ever elected to Detroit City Council.

Born February 29, 1908 in Pennsylvania to Ukrainian immigrants, Mary Beck graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a law degree in 1932. Two years later, she moved to Detroit to begin a career as a social worker. Mary Beck was admitted to the Michigan Bar in 1944. In 1950, she became the first woman ever elected to the Detroit City Council. Mary lived at 2606 Oakman Blvd for nearly 50 years from the late 1940s to the early 1990s.

She remained on the council for 20 years, retiring in 1970, and in her time as a councilmember also became the first woman president pro tempore and president of the Detroit City Council. Beyond politics, Mary Beck was deeply involved in the Ukrainian community. Her work involved bringing attention to the horrible treatment of Ukraine and other captive states of the Soviet Union. For her work, she was awarded the St. Volodymyr Medal for lifetime achievement by the Ukrainian World Congress in 2003.

Mary moved from the Oakman Blvd Community to Sterling Heights in the mid 1990s. She passed away in 2005 at age 96.