Eva Greenslit Anderson (1889-1972) was a Washington state legislator and writer. She made her mark as a life-long educator and advocate for education and empowerment for women and girls. Anderson moved to Washington from Nebraska as a young woman with an education degree, settled in the Wenatchee area, and worked as a teacher and administrator. She was elected president of the Washington Education Association in the 1920s. She also gained state-wide experience in the 1930s as part the Washington Emergency Relief Administration (WERA). Anderson earned a Ph.D. at the University of Washington in the 1930s and was named as the second woman on the University of Washington Board of Regents in the early 1940s. She was a frequent speaker to women’s groups. She finally took her own advice to run for the Washington State Legislature, where she served District 12 (Chelan County) for 12 years beginning in the late 1940s. She was a staunch advocate for education, public power, and the interests of her district. Anderson was noted for her wit and strength, which sometimes surprised those who only saw her matronly appearance. Anderson, who wrote books and articles about local and regional history, was named posthumously to the State Centennial Hall of Honor for Education.
Early Life
Eva Greenslit Anderson was born in 1889 in Surprise, Nebraska, to Walter and Catherine Cecelia (Kate) Ammerman Greenslit. She was one of eight children. Her mother and father were teachers, and her father was later a farmer and lumberman in Nebraska. Along with all of her siblings, Eva attended Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, where she graduated in 1910 with a music degree. Her Methodist faith stayed with her throughout her life. She returned home after college and taught in Surprise for two years. She then moved to Wenatchee in 1912, where her sister Mary had moved with her husband Rufus Woods (1878-1950) in 1909. Rufus Woods became the owner and publisher of the Wenatchee World newspaper, and Eva Anderson became a frequent contributor.
Greenslit secured a temporary teaching position in Orondo. She moved back to Wenatchee and began teaching at Wenatchee High School in 1913. She married fellow Nebraska Wesleyan graduate Leonard O. Anderson (1888-1949) in 1915; he was the superintendent of the Waterville Schools in Waterville at the time of their marriage. After serving in World War I, L. O. Anderson started a career in car dealerships in Central Washington. He continued that work until his death in 1949.
Eva had to relinquish her teaching position when she married Anderson. Until World War II, it was common for married women to lose their teaching jobs. She opposed this restriction. The Andersons lost a child in 1916 and did not later have other children. Eva Anderson went back to work and took over as the Superintendent of Douglas County Schools in Waterville from 1919 until 1921. She then returned to teaching at Wenatchee High School for the next few years. She earned a master’s degree from the University of Washington in 1926. Her thesis topic was "Backgrounds of Willa Cather’s Novels," a fitting subject for a Nebraska native.
"Happy to Serve"
Anderson, endearingly called "Mrs. Andy" by her students, rose swiftly in the statewide educational community. She was elected president of the Washington Education Association in 1926. She served in that role while also working as the Superintendent of Waterville Public Schools, a position she held from 1925 to 1928. Anderson was a delegate to the World Conference of Education in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1925. She served as the girls' advisor at Wenatchee Schools from 1929 to 1934. During these Depression years, she assisted girls at Wenatchee High School find local jobs, secure donations, and access social services so they could continue their education. In 1931, she was elected first vice president of the Inland Empire Teachers' Association, a group comprised of 25,000 teachers. Working with the Washington Education Association, Anderson became the Washington state director of the George Washington Bicentennial Commission in 1932. She participated in other such historical anniversaries throughout her career.
Anderson took on a new role in Olympia as the state supervisor of adult education for the Washington Emergency Relief Administration from 1934 to 1937. The program was part of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration's effort to hire teachers and other professionals to provide educational opportunities. The adult education department was supervised by the state superintendent of education Dr. Noah Showalter (1869-1937) and funded through federal grants. It had a wide reach: 44,000 Washington adults were served by 900 teachers at 311 public schools and in 250 other centers ("Adult Education in Washington"). The program was later incorporated into the Works Progress Administration. Popular courses included diesel engineering, social problems, arts and crafts, and home economics. Anderson took this experience forward and became a life-long advocate of adult education.
Anderson earned her Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 1937. Her dissertation, "Financial Support for Washington’s Public Schools," was a cooperative effort, which included a federal grant to the University of Washington, collaboration from the Washington State Department of Education, and input from the National Education Association and the Washington Education Association. Her work became the basis for legislative action, the 1937 School Equalization Fund Bill, or the Yantis-Wanamaker Bill, to equalize funding for education among districts statewide ("State Legislature Passes ...").
Due to her prominence in education, and with urging from leaders of women's clubs, Governor Arthur Langlie (1900-1966) appointed Anderson to serve as a University of Washington regent. She held the position from 1942 to 1946 and was only the second woman to serve as a UW regent after Ruth Karr McKee (1874-1951), who served from 1917 to 1926. Anderson, known for her wit, told a reporter from The Seattle Times, "Working on the Board of Regents is what I have always wanted to do." She added, "I am accustomed to working with men. I was raised with six brothers." She further denied being "thrilled" by the appointment. "Festival queens and beauty contest winners are thrilled," she said. "I am happy to serve" ("UW Regents Enjoy ...").
Meanwhile, Anderson became well-known for her children’s books about Northwest history, which she began writing in the late 1930s. Her book, Child's Story of Washington, was widely used as a school textbook. She authored more than 20 books, writing a number of children’s and adult books as well as travelogues, including Dog Team Doctor in 1940, Chief Seattle in 1943, and George Adams, Indian Legislator in 1955.
Anderson taught in Chelan Public Schools in the 1940s while also serving as the regional director of adult education for the Northwest Division of the National Education Association. She was a popular speaker, especially for women’s and educational groups. She was an unwavering proponent of empowerment for women and girls. This was often the topic of her presentations.
"Stepping Up to Bat" in the Legislature
Anderson first ran for the Washington State Legislature in 1948. She described her decision:
"... I was invited to go to Yakima to talk to an east-side political meeting on the subject 'Women in Politics.' Carefully, I outlined reasons why women should take some active part. Almost tearful, I implored other women to throw their hats, (even their latest and most expensive hats) into the political ring. Standing before a big audience, I begged, beseeched, cajoled and practically wept as I implored my sister Republicans to step forward for the sake of the State, the Nation and Womankind everywhere. Tho they yawned and looked bored (I'm accustomed to that), I felt that I’d done a good job in presenting the merits of my case. Then I went home. But to my chagrin, nothing happened. No comments! No converts! No comers! Finally in desperation, in the words of John Alden’s Priscilla, the thought came to me (and it almost overpowered me) that I must be speaking for myself. At the end of four months, and at a cost of $600 plus five pairs of shoes I arrived in Olympia where my trouble began” ("Youth and Government" speech in Danahey-Feil, p. 202).
Anderson explained how it felt to run for political office as a woman: "It gives you a bit of a heart twist to walk right up to the courthouse and put your name opposite that of a man – not whom you’re going to marry – but opposite the name of a man who's your friend – and who want the same job you could fill" ("Political Pioneers," p. 27).
Anderson won the election and went on to serve six consecutive terms in the Washington House of Representatives as a Republican from District 12, Chelan County. She viewed her election as an extension of her previous service: "My motive in wanting to go to Olympia is purely service. It is the next logical step. Women, I feel, have never been fully represented nor have they accepted their share of governmental responsibility. I am not seeking this office, however, on the basis of being a woman. In coming up 'to bat' in a game usually played by men, I expect to play according to their rules" ("The Candidates Speak ..." in Danahey-Feil, p. 198).
Anderson served on several legislative committees including agriculture and livestock, education and libraries, memorials, and colleges and universities. She often sponsored legislation regarding schools and the need for tax support. She championed public power, which was important to constituents in her district. She, of course, also championed Wenatchee apples. One of her slogans was "An Apple a Day Peels Taxes Away." She distributed pieces of the fruit to fellow legislators.
She was a powerful, experienced legislative voice for education. Anderson explained, "It’s education primarily that takes me to Olympia ... I find such a woeful lack of people who can and will speak for the schools. Too many sincere people just don’t know what they're talking about ... just don't understand the problems" ("Speech to Republican Women in Waterville Park" in Danahey-Feil, p. 192).
Anderson was one of seven women serving in the 1949 legislature with 138 men. In February 1949, the Wenatchee World lauded her achievements: "The respect has been gained the hard way – in sharp verbal battles with veteran legislators who have been deceived by the motherly look, friendly smile and soft voice" ("Eva Anderson Commands Respect ..."). The Olympian similarly described her legislative work: "Those who have disagreed come away licking their wounds. One announced after taking a decisive licking in a committee room battle that he 'never again would look upon women as the weaker sex'" ("Lady of the Lake").
The Washington Business and Professional Women named Anderson the statewide Woman of Achievement for 1949. She was referred to as "Lady of the Lake" for her residence near Lake Chelan. This was one of many prestigious statewide awards Anderson won throughout her life.
During her legislative tenure, Anderson wrote a column for the Wenatchee World called "Eva Anderson Reports from Olympia" and authored legislative reports for the Chelan Valley Mirror. She often addressed the role of women in the legislature. In a 1959 speech to the Fortnightly Club in Manson, she said:
"Is it a handicap to be a woman? Yes and no. You have to be a better woman in proportion, and you have to work harder. Men colleagues treat you amazingly well, but many still feel a prejudice toward women in the top spots. A woman legislator has to prove herself every step of the way" ("Legislating as a Career" speech in Danahey-Feil, p. 211).
From 1957 to 1959, there were 10 other women serving in the legislature alongside Anderson. Despite their professional and political achievements, women legislators were often subject to media coverage that placed their domesticity and femininity front and center. A 1953 article in The Seattle Times headlined "Lawmakers in Skirts" featured a photo of women legislators touching up their makeup. Another Seattle Times article emphasized that Anderson was a "model housekeeper and gracious hostess" ("Eva Greenslit Anderson: Woman of Achievement"). Yet another Times column noted she "gardens and cans fruit" ("Two Republican Women Legislators ..."). Anderson's attire, especially her hats, was often commented upon.
As evidenced by her speeches, which were in line with Republican positions, Anderson was vocally anti-Communist. Although she touted her membership in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and support for racial equality, she opposed black militancy in the 1960s. She also criticized the anti-Vietnam War movement.
Community and Civic Service
After retiring from the legislature in 1960, Anderson concentrated on historical writing and activities. She also enjoyed traveling with her sister Mary. She served on many commissions and traveled to London in 1970 for the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Hudson’s Bay Company. She was a member of the Washington American Revolution Bicentennial Commission and served on the Board of Curators for the Washington State Historical Society in the 1950s. Dr. Anderson was active on the Wenatchee Heritage Committee. That organization provided about 500 articles for the Wenatchee World about local heritage, many of which were compiled into a publication called Pioneers of North Central Washington.
Anderson was an inveterate joiner. She was a member of American Pen Women, American Association of University Women, Delta Kappa Gamma, Pi Lambda Theta, Methodist groups, the Soroptimists, and other organizations. Often called upon to speak before groups, Anderson was known as an entertaining presenter. In the 1980s she was featured in a statewide project called "Political Pioneers" that honored Washington women legislators. She was honored by many other groups for her achievements, including Nebraska Wesleyan University, the Wenatchee Apple Festival, Who's Who lists, and others.
Anderson died in 1972. She was posthumously recognized as part of the Washington State Historical Society's Washington Centennial Hall of Honor for Education, a list of 100 notable Washingtonians. A building at Wenatchee Valley College was named in her honor but has since been razed. At her death, friends said, "She was a better story than she ever wrote" ("The Reader's Safety Valve ...").
