The San José City Council voted two weeks ago to rename City Hall’s Rotunda after former Mayor Janet Gray Hayes.
Terry Christensen, a political science professor emeritus at San José State, made the nomination in honor of Hayes.
“A lot of why Janet Gray Hayes is important is because she was a leader,” Christensen said. “A prominent woman leader ahead of her time (who) mentored other women to be leaders.”
When Hayes was elected as mayor, she was the force that changed San José from its conservative “old guard” leadership of the ‘50s and ‘60s to what it is today, according to Christensen’s nomination statement.
Another councilmember who was set on naming the Rotunda after Hayes was Councilmember Devora Davis.
“I knew that I wanted something to be named after her,” Davis said. “I actually asked my staff why (there) wasn’t something named after her?”
Davis said Hayes worked to pay future generations with her knowledge during her administration by mentoring future female political figures.
“There was an opening on City Council and she appointed Iola Williams to serve in that seat. (Sho was the) first black woman to serve in the city of San José on City Council,” said Councilmember Pam Foley.
Foley said Hayes also mentored former Mayor Susan Hammer while she was in office.
“Former Mayor Hammer was mentored by Former Mayor Hayes, and former Mayor Hammer mentored me.” Foley said. “I'm just honored to have that sort of support.”
David Pandori, Santa Clara Deputy District Attorney, assembled a group of people, including Christensen, who thought Hayes deserved the formal recognition.
“We settled on the Rotunda for a variety of reasons,” Christensen said. “We thought that was fairly appropriate.”
Foley said she agreed with naming City Hall in honor of Hayes.
“City Council was where she really took the city through so many changes that were inspirational to bring San José where it is today,” Foley said.
She said at the time of Hayes’ election, San José was famous for being the “feminist capital of the world” for its inclusiveness of women.
“She was very instrumental at getting other women (or) mentoring other women to be involved in council and other leadership positions,” Foley said.
Davis said other buildings have been named after former mayors such as San José Mineta International Airport, which was named after former Mayor Norman Y. Mineta.
“We already had the Hammer Theatre Center named after Susan Hammer and her husband,” Davis said.
As it stands right now, San José only has three women on its City Council, according to a website from the city of San José.
Christensen said naming the city after Janet Gray Hayes will cost some money, but it will be carried out.
He said he thought the most important thing about Hayes’s time as mayor was her effort in opening up new opportunities for future leaders in a similar place to her own.
“The goal is for it to happen by November because that will be the 50th anniversary of the election of Janet Gray Hayes as mayor,” Christensen said.
