Florence S. Farley
Florence S. Farley | |
|---|---|
| 104th Mayor of Petersburg | |
| In office 1984â1990 | |
| Preceded by | Wilson Cheely |
| Succeeded by | Charles H. Cuthbert IV |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Florence Saunders May 28, 1928 Roanoke, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | August 28, 2022 (aged 94) Petersburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Resting place | Blandford Cemetery, Petersburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Richard Farley
â â (m. 1955; died 1970) |
| Education | |
| Occupation |
|
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Unit | Women's Army Corps |
Florence Saunders Farley (nĂŠe Saunders; May 28, 1928 â August 28, 2022) was an American politician who served as the first Black female mayor of Petersburg, Virginia. She had also spent many years for Peterburg's school board.[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Florence Saunders Farley was born on May 28, 1928, in Roanoke, Virginia to parents Neoda Florence Saunders and Stacious Thadeous Saunders, where she was the ninth out of the 10 children in her family.[3] She attended Harrison Elementary School when she was a child.[1]
In 1946, Farley graduated as a salutatorian of her class from Lucy Addison High School. Then, she attended Virginia State College (now Virginia State University), graduating with a B.S. degree in psychology in 1950 and an M.S. degree in educational psychology in 1954. In 1955, she married Richard Farley.[4]
She also got a Ph.D. degree in psychology from the Kent State University in Kent, Ohio in 1977, and was the chair of the psychology department.[2][5]
Farley went and signed up to the Women's Army Corps at Fort Lee in 1951 and became the first black women to become a training officer along with being commissioned to second lieutenant.[5][6][1]
Farley first served as Chief Psychologist at Central State Hospital, and was the first African American clinically licensed psychologist in Virginia.[5]
Political career
[edit]Farley first began her career in 1973 when she became the first woman to be elected into the Petersburg City Council, where she also became a member of Virginia's first major black city council. She then won re-election in 1978 and 1982. In 1984, she was elected as mayor of Petersburg after the resignation of Wilson Cheely. She became the first female and African-American mayor.[4]
From 2003 to 2006, Farley became very active within the Petersburg school board, serving as the vice chair. In 2010, she was recognized by The Library of Virginia as an âAfrican American Trailblazer in Virginia History.â[7]
Personal life
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Florence Farley's Biography". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- 1 2 3 Covil, Wayne (2022-08-29). "First Black female mayor of Petersburg remembered as a trailblazer, friend". CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- â Lewis, Carla; Sterling, Andrew (February 26, 2007). "Interviewee: Florence Farley Interviewer: Carla Lewis- Virginia Room" (PDF). Retrieved January 24, 2026.
- 1 2 "Florence Farley ¡ Virginia Changemakers". edu.lva.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- 1 2 3 "Florence Saunders Farley, Psychologist and Educator born". African American Registry. Archived from the original on 2025-06-16. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- 1 2 Atkinson, Bill. "First Black woman to be Petersburg mayor remembered as trailblazer, mentor and friend". The Progress Index. Retrieved 2025-11-20.
- â "Dr. Florence Saunders Farley â McKenney Foundation". Retrieved 2025-11-20.
| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
- 1928 births
- 2022 deaths
- 20th-century African-American politicians
- 20th-century mayors of places in Virginia
- 20th-century African-American women politicians
- 20th-century American women politicians
- Kent State University alumni
- People from Petersburg, Virginia
- People from Roanoke, Virginia
- Virginia State University alumni