Background
Mahaffey, Maryann was born on January 18, 1925 in Burlington, Iowa, United States.
Mahaffey, Maryann was born on January 18, 1925 in Burlington, Iowa, United States.
Bachelor, Cornell College, 1946; Doctor of Humane Letters (honorary), Cornell College, 1995; Master of Social Work, University of Southern California, 1951.
She served on the Detroit City Council from 1973 until 2005, from 1990 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2005 as council president She was the last white female city council president of Detroit. She died on July 27, 2006 from leukemia, aged 81.
In both terms as council president, she proved to be a very controversial leader.
lieutenant was under her that a majority of Detroit"s public housing projects were shut down - most notably, the Brewster-Douglas projects in 2004, which are still vacantand the city"s crime and abandonment rates almost tripled. Though she resisted this strenuously.
However, she oversaw redevelopment of several inner city neighborhoods, and championed construction along the Woodward Corridor. She was a Professor Emerita at the School of Social Work at Wayne State University in Detroit, where she taught from 1965 to 1990.
She had an undergraduate degree from Cornell College in Iowa and a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California.
Delaware founding convention National Women's Political Caucus, 1971-1973. Chair, founder Michigan Statewide Nutrition Commission, 1973-1983. Designer, initiator Detroit Police Department Rape Crisis Center and Family Trouble Clinic of Detroit, Family Service and Police, 1974-1975.
Delegate IWY, Mexico City, 1975, Houston, 1978. Deputy chair United States Conference on Families, 1979-1981. Chair human development committee National League of Cities, 1992, chair Michigan delegate to United Nations Conference Women, Beijing, 1995.
Summer recreation director National Intercollegiate Christian Council in Concentration Camp for Japanese Americans, 1945. Trainer, integrator Brownie Troop Indianapolis Girl Scouts, 1951-1952. Organizer Welfare Rights, Detroit, 1961.
Founder National Peace and Disarmament Committee National Association of Social Workers, 1962-1969, president, 1975-1977. Founder Women in Social Welfare, 1972-1974. Author policy of women's rights, International Federation Social Workers, 1987.
Member executive committee International Federation Social Workers, 1984-1986. Member National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (life), American Orthopsychiat. Association (president 1984-1985), Japanese American Citizens League, Women in Municipal Government (president 1995, advisory board, member NLC policy advisory council), National Council Negro Women (life).
Married Herman Dooha. 1 child, Susan.
