Nellie Trent Bush

Descriptive

Birth 1888-11-29Death1963-10-27BirthplaceCedar County, MissouriAffiliationsArizona State UniversityUniversity of ArizonaSouthern Pacific Railroad CompanyDemocratic PartyOccupationsAdmiral of Arizona's NavyTeacherJustice of the PeaceLawyerArizona State RepresentativeArizona State SenatorPlace of ResidenceMesa, ArizonaGlendale, ArizonaParker, ArizonaBiographical NoteNellie attended Tempe Normal School (Arizona State University) where she earned a teaching license in 1908. She married trolley inspector Joe Bush in 1912 and moved to Parker, Arizona in 1915.

The family lived on a riverboat in Parker where Nellie taught school while Joe ran a ferry business. Nellie became the first woman in the US to hold a riverboat pilot's license. She also obtained an airplane pilot's license and helped establish the first airport in Parker.

She was a member of the Arizona Colorado River Commission, Colorado River Basin States Committee, Glendale Women's Club, Parker Women's Club, American Federation of Women's Clubs, and the Business and Professional Women's Foundation. In 1918, she became Justice of the Peace and Coroner of Parker. She obtained her law degree and was admitted to the State Bar of Arizona in 1923, representing the city of Parker, Yuma County, and Southern Pacific Railroad.

She ran for a seat in the Arizona House of Representatives in 1920 and held that position until 1933 when she won a seat in the Arizona Senate. She was instrumental in the establishment of the Arizona Children's Colony. During a disagreement with California over the construction of Parker Dam, Governor Moeur designated Nellie as Admiral of Arizona's Navy and sent National Guard troops to Parker to protect the state's water rights using her riverboats. Though she lost an election for US Congress, she won a seat in the Arizona State Senate in 1940.

Nellie was inducted into the Arizona Women's Hall of Fame in 1982. She died on October 27, 1963 in Phoenix of a kidney ailment.More InformationWikipediaArizona Women's Hall of Fame-Nellie T. Bush (1888-1963)

Newspaper

Arizona Republican, 1921-01-20

Arizona Sentinel, 1916-11-30

Arizona State Miner, 1922-07-08

Arizona Women's Voice, 1989-02

Nogales International, 1926-11-14

Nogales International, 1930-12-05

Nogales International, 1936-03-28

The Border Vidette, 1926-12-04

The St. Johns Observer, 1936-06-13

Image

Eighth Arizona State House of Representatives, 1927-1928

Members of the 12th Arizona State Senate in Phoenix

Members of the 1921 Arizona State Legislature in front of the Capitol in Phoenix

Members of the 5th Arizona State House of Representatives at the State Capitol in Phoenix

Members of the 5th Arizona State House of Representatives, First Special Session at the State Capitol in Phoenix

Nellie Bush, a member of the 15th Arizona House of Representatives in Phoenix

Nellie T. Bush (1888-1963)

Reverse of image #01-9323, listing the members of the 5th Arizona State House of Representatives at the State Capitol in Phoenix

Document

Arizona Attorney General Opinion 33-191

Arizona Pioneer Women of the Arizona State Organization of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International

Biographies, Boyce-Creighton, 1911-1966

Report of the Colorado River Commission of Arizona 1943

Report of the Colorado River Commission of Arizona 1943-1944

Periodical

Admiral of Arizona Navy

Arizona Defense News, 1941-12-08

Arizona Highways, 1936-08

Event

1925, Seventh Legislature

Menu

Nellie Trent Bush