▁woman ▁elected ▁to ▁public ▁office ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁Life ▁Add ington ▁was ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁William . ▁H . ▁Add ington ▁Sr . ▁and ▁Al vi ra ▁Pot ter . ▁She ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁state . ▁She ▁came ▁to ▁Iowa ▁from ▁Wisconsin ▁with ▁her ▁family ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁and ▁taught ▁school ▁in ▁C ed ar ▁F alls , ▁Water lo o , ▁Des ▁Mo ines ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁C ed ar ▁Valley ▁Sem inary ▁in ▁Os age . ▁Add ington ▁was ▁elected ▁Super int endent ▁of ▁School s ▁for ▁Mitchell ▁County ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 9 . ▁ ▁She ▁had ▁been ▁acting ▁school ▁super int endent ▁just ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁election , ▁comple ting ▁the ▁term ▁of ▁the ▁previous ▁holder ▁of ▁that ▁position . ▁Add ington ▁was ▁elected ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁" B ol ter " ▁fa ction ▁of ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party , ▁who ▁fav oured ▁Mitchell ▁as ▁the ▁county ▁seat . ▁She ▁received ▁exactly ▁the ▁same ▁number ▁of ▁votes ▁as ▁Republican ▁candidate ▁Mil ton ▁N . ▁Brow ne ▁and ▁the ▁election ▁was ▁settled ▁by ▁f li pping ▁a ▁coin . ▁Because ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁woman , ▁her ▁election ▁was ▁not ▁univers ally ▁accepted , ▁even ▁though ▁the ▁Iowa ▁att orney ▁general ▁Henry ▁O ' Con nor ▁ruled ▁that ▁her ▁election ▁was ▁legal ▁since ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁explicit ▁requirement ▁in ▁the ▁law ▁for ▁a ▁candidate ▁to ▁be ▁male . ▁During ▁her ▁time ▁in ▁office , ▁ 1 7 ▁new ▁schools ▁were ▁built .