01/07/2026
In January 1990, Sophie Masloff was inaugurated as the first female and Jewish mayor of Pittsburgh.
Masloff devoted more than 50 years to politics and public service. Born in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, she began volunteering for the Democratic Party and working for Allegheny County as a teenager. Her steady rise in public office led her to Pittsburgh City Council in 1976, and in 1988 she became the first woman to serve as City Council president. That same year, following the untimely death of Mayor Richard Caliguiri, Masloff assumed the role of mayor. She went on to win a full term, serving as mayor until 1994.
After leaving office, Masloff remained a familiar and beloved public figure in Pittsburgh. She appeared in local commercials and offered her perspective on city politics, cementing her legacy as a trailblazer and enduring presence in the city she served.
📸 Masloff in front of the Civic Arena, c. 1989. Sophie Masloff Campaign Papers, Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center.
