Fae Searcy | |
|---|---|
| Clerk of the Supreme Court of Illinois | |
| In office April 13, 1955 – March 23, 1968 | |
| Preceded by | Earle Benjamin Searcy |
| Succeeded by | Justin Taft |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Fae Isenberg |
| Died | March 23, 1968 (aged 75) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Earle Benjamin Searcy |
| Children | 2 |
Fae Searcy (née Isenberg) was an American politician who served as clerk of the Supreme Court of Illinois. She was the first woman to hold a statewide elected office in Illinois. First appointed in a widow's succession following her husband's death in office, Searcy won election to two full terms.
Biography
Searcy was born in Shelby County, Illinois as Fae Isenberg.[1][2] She attended public school in Shelbyville.[1]
Searcy attended Oberlin College, and graduated from the Hinshaw Conservatory of Music in Chicago.[1]
She married Earle Benjamin Searcy in 1917,[1][2] taking his surname.[1] The Searcys would be parents to daughter Barbara Jane Searcy Damewood and son Earle B. Searcy.[1]
Searcy's husband became a politician. She joined him frequently on campaign trips, and was involved in Republican Party women's clubs.[3]
Clerk of the Supreme Court of Illinois
In 1955, Searcy's husband, serving in the statewide elected office of clerk of the Illinois Supreme Court, died in office of a heart attack.[1][3] On April 13, 1955, in an instance of widow's succession, she was appointed by the court to fill the vacant office, becoming the first woman to fill a statewide elected office in Illinois.[1][3] She won election as a Republican to a full term in 1956.[1][4] Searcy was reelected to an additional full term in 1962.[5]
Death
On March 23, 1968, Searcy died at the age of 75, after having ailed from a lingering illness.[1] Searcy still placed second out of three candidates in the June 1968 Republican primary election for the office of Clerk of the Illinois Supreme Court,[6] which she had already filed to appear on the ballot for prior to her death.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Mrs. Fae Searcy Dies; Clerk of Supreme Court". The Dispatch (Moline Illinois). The Associated Press. 25 March 1968. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- 1 2 "MISS ISENBERG TO WED IN SHELBYVILLE". Newspapers.com. The Daily Review (Decatur, Illinois). 11 Jan 1917. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- 1 2 3 "Mrs. Fae Searcy Named to Post Of Late Husband". Newspapers.com. Dixon Evening Telegraph (Dixon, Illinois). The Associated Press. 14 Apr 1955. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
- ↑ "OFFICIAL VOTE of the STATE OF ILLINOIS Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 6, 1956 JUDICIAL ELECTION, 1955, 1956 • PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, APRIL 10 1958" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
- ↑ "OFFICIAL VOTE of the STATE OF ILLINOIS Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION, NOVEMBER 6, 1960 JUDICIAL ELECTION, 1961–1962 • PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, APRIL, 10, 1962" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
- ↑ "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 5, 1968 JUDICIAL PRIMARY ELECTION GENERAL PRIMARY, JUNE, 11, 1972" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 26 June 2020.