McClanahan Nominates Thomas for Award
Representative Rebecca McClanahan (pictured left) nominated Bertha Thomas, assistant dean of Multicultural Affairs, (pictured right) for the DeVerne Lee Calloway Award, which is given annually by the Women Legislators of Missouri organization in honor of Missouri’s first African-American woman state representative. The award is given in recognition of community service and commitment to social justice. Thomas was one of six nominees for the award, which went to Kathleen Hanrahan, director of the YWCA, St. Louis Regional Sexual Assault Center. DeVerne Lee Calloway was elected to serve in the Missouri House of Representatives on her first bid for public office in November 1962. She served on the House committees on education, public health, safety and Social Security. She also served on the Elections Committee, Accounts Committee and as chairman of the Federal-State Relations Committee. During her career in the legislature, she worked actively to increase state aid to public education; to improve welfare grants and services for dependent children, the blind, the disabled and the elderly; and to reform prisons.
