Margaret Wold was an alderman for Evanston’s 6th Ward from 1983 to 1991, the first female alderman to represent the Ward.
Significance: Margaret Wold was born in Iowa City, Iowa, in 1939. She drew inspiration from her mother, who graduated college in 1926, before it was common to see women graduating from colleges and universities. An only child, she moved to Forest City, Iowa, with her family in the first grade. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Iowa and received her degree in sociology while working part-time at a market research agency in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
In 1961, shortly after graduating college, Wold and a friend moved to Chicago. She got a job at an advertising agency in downtown Chicago, and was set up with her husband, John, on a blind date by a coworker. The pair married in 1962 and moved to Evanston.
Margaret Wold soon got involved in the community. While she never saw herself as a political activist, she joined the League of Women Voters and the Young Republicans. When Bob Barr served in the Illinois House of Representatives, Wold operated his regional office in Downtown Evanston. Beyond her work in politics, she served on the Haven and Lincolnwood PTAs while her children were in school.
In 1983, Wold was elected to her first term as alderman for the 6th Ward. She remembers being unsure of running for office at that time but was encouraged to run by people in her life, and positive interactions with her future constituents during her campaign helped bolster her confidence. Serving on the City Council until 1991, Wold served as the chairman of the Flood and Pollution Control Commission, helping update important city infrastructure. Other notable issues Wold was involved with during her time on city council included continued discussions on fair housing and changing liquor laws in the city. During her time on City Council, Wold also saw her friend Joan Barr become Evanston’s first female mayor.
Wold continued to stay involved with her community after her time on City Council. She served on the Evanston History Center Board of Trustees, including as its president. In 2015, Wold and her husband moved out of Evanston to be closer to family.
Completed by Brenna Large for the Evanston Women’s History Project