Mary Wendy Roberts
| Mary Wendy Roberts | |
|---|---|
| 6th Oregon Commissioner of Labor | |
|
In office January 1, 1979 – January 2, 1995 |
|
| Preceded by | Bill Stevenson |
| Succeeded by | Jack Roberts |
| Oregon State Senate | |
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In office 1975–1979 |
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| Oregon Legislative Assembly | |
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In office 1973–1975 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | December 19, 1944 |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater |
University of Oregon University of Colorado Boulder University of Wisconsin–Madison |
Mary Wendy Roberts (born December 19, 1944) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Oregon.
A fifth-generation Oregonian, she was the youngest woman, at 27, ever elected to the Oregon Legislative Assembly. She was elected to the Oregon State Senate in 1974. In 1978, at 33, she became the first woman Democrat to win Oregon statewide office, serving for 16 years as Oregon Commissioner of Labor, the chief executive of the state agency that enforces the state civil rights and wage-hour laws, and oversees apprenticeship programs. She was the first woman to be elected to such a position, traditionally held by men, in the United States.
She is a member of the Roberts political family of Oregon, based in Portland.
The first child of Oregon politician Frank L. Roberts and his first wife Mary Louise, Roberts attended Portland grade schools and graduated from West Linn High School in Clackamas County in 1962. She attended the University of Oregon as an Honors College student, earning a BA degree in political science in December 1965. She studied at the Chinese-Japanese Language Institute, University of Colorado Boulder on a full fellowship. She received her MA degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Roberts worked as a caseworker with the State Public Welfare Department in Portland and then as a counselor for the Multnomah County juvenile court.
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