Alice Mary Robertson (1854–1931) was a trailblazing American educator, missionary, and politician — best remembered as the first woman elected to Congress from Oklahoma and only the second woman ever to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Her career combined advocacy for Native American education, pioneering public service roles, and a brief but historic term in Congress.
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Early Life and Education
• Born: January 2, 1854, at Tullahassee Mission in the Creek Nation, Indian Territory.
• Family: Daughter of missionaries William Schenck Robertson and Ann Eliza Worcester Robertson; granddaughter of Rev. Samuel Worcester, a missionary to the Cherokees.
• Education: Attended Elmira College in New York, one of the first colleges for women, graduating near the top of her class.
Her upbringing in a missionary family deeply influenced her lifelong commitment to education and service among Native Americans.
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Career in Education and Public Service
• Indian Affairs Clerk (1873–1879): Worked in Washington, D.C. at the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
• Teaching Roles: Taught at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, a model for Indian boarding schools.
• Nuyaka Mission: Founded a mission school in Indian Territory after raising funds through lecture tours.
• Henry Kendall College: Directed a Presbyterian boarding school for Native American girls in Muskogee, which evolved into the University of Tulsa.
• Supervisor of Creek Schools (1900–1905): First federal supervisor of Creek Indian education.
• Postmaster of Muskogee (1905–1913): Appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt, becoming the first woman postmaster of a Class A U.S. post office.
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Wartime Service
• During World War I, Robertson became known as “Miss Alice” for personally meeting troop trains in Muskogee, serving coffee and food to soldiers.
• Her efforts grew into a large-scale canteen service, eventually forming the nucleus of the Muskogee Red Cross.
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Congressional Career
• Elected in 1920: Won a seat as a Republican from Oklahoma’s 2nd District, defeating incumbent William W. Hastings — making her the first woman to unseat a sitting congressman.
• Term: Served from March 4, 1921, to March 3, 1923.
• Significance: Only woman in Congress during her term; first woman from Oklahoma elected to Congress.
• Political Stance: Despite her groundbreaking role, Robertson opposed many feminist causes, including women’s suffrage and the Equal Rights Amendment. She emphasized traditional values, declaring: “I am a Christian, I am an American, I am a Republican.”
• Defeat: Lost reelection in 1922 to Hastings, the same man she had previously defeated.
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Later Life
• After Congress, Robertson worked as a welfare worker at the Veterans Hospital in Muskogee (1923–1925).
• She also ran a restaurant, Sawokla, named after her farm, serving hundreds daily in postwar Muskogee.
• Death: July 1, 1931, in Muskogee, Oklahoma, at age 77.
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Legacy
• Pioneering Woman in Politics: Robertson’s election marked a milestone in women’s political participation, though her anti-feminist views made her a paradoxical figure.
• Advocate for Native American Education: Her work laid foundations for institutions like the University of Tulsa.
• Public Service Model: From missionary schools to wartime canteens, she embodied civic duty and service.
• Historical Recognition: Until Mary Fallin’s election in 2006, Robertson remained the only woman Oklahoma had ever sent to Congress.
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Key Takeaways
• First woman elected to Congress from Oklahoma.
• Second woman ever in U.S. Congress.
• First woman postmaster of a Class A post office.
• Deeply involved in Native American education and welfare.
• Complex figure: advanced women’s presence in politics but resisted feminist reforms.
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