2014 Session

How the Cities, Counties, and Parties Get their Names

Cities

We have named our cities for some of the inspirational women in the American Legion Auxiliary and for some of our Nevada women who were, or are, active in politics and are role models for all.

  • BARBARA BUCKLEY CITY is named for the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Assembly in the State of Nevada. Prior to becoming the Speaker, she served in the Assembly before serving as Assistant Majority Floor Leader. She was also the first woman to hold the position of Assembly Majority Leader for the Nevada State Legislature.
  • PATTY CAFFERATTA CITY is named for the first woman to be elected to constitutional office in Nevada when she was elected State Treasurer in 1982. An attorney, author, and historian, she has had a diverse career in law and politics. She has also served Nevada as district attorney in three Nevada counties and as a member of the Nevada Assembly.
  • FELICE COHN CITY is named for the youngest person to become an attorney in Nevada. She authored the legislation that extended voting rights to women in Nevada, which passed in 1914. In 1917, she became the fourth woman certified to argue cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
  • GERALDINE CONNOLLY CITY is named for our past Nevada Girls State Director. Mrs. Connolly was the Director for more than 30 years. She was on the Board of Directors since 1965. Mrs. Connolly passed away in 2008 leaving Nevada Girls State as her legacy. She has left us with some big shoes to fill. We will do our best to honor her.
  • ELIZA COOK CITY is named for the first woman to practice medicine in Nevada. She received her medical degree in 1884 at the age of 28 and successfully practiced medicine in the Carson Valley for over 40 years. She was also a noted proponent of extending voting rights to women and campaigned for the passage of the 19th Amendment.
  • FRANKIE SUE DEL PAPA CITY is named for the first female Attorney General and first female Secretary of State for the State of Nevada. In addition to these positions, she also served on the University Board of Regents and she has been a public servant for most of her adult life. Frankie Sue Del Papa is also an alumna of Nevada Girls State.
  • SADIE HURST CITY is named for Nevada’s first female legislator. Elected in 1918 and taking office in 1919, she introduced the legislation (AJ/CR 2) in favor of Nevada’s ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. When this resolution came to the floor, Speaker Fitzgerald asked her to act as Speaker and take the historic vote.
  • ANNE HENRIETTA MARTIN CITY for a noted Nevada suffragette. She served as president of the Nevada Women’s Civic League and is credited with organizing the campaign that won women’s suffrage in Nevada via the popular vote in 1914. She was also an executive committee member of the National American Woman Suffrage Party and served as national chairwoman of the National Woman’s Party.
  • LAURA TILDEN CITY is named for the first woman licensed to practice law in Nevada. The July 24, 1893 addition of the Virginia City Evening Chronicle additionally credits her with obtaining the passage of the legislation in Nevada that allowed women to become attorneys in the State.
  • SUE WAGNER CITY is named for the former Lieutenant Governor of the State of Nevada and was the first woman to hold this office in Nevada. She served in the Assembly and in the Senate before becoming Lt. Governor. She spoke to the Nevada Girls State citizens each year for 21 years, and is dedicated to the program. She attended Girls State in Arizona.
  • SARAH WINNEMUCCA CITY is named for a Paiute leader who spent her adult life working for the rights of her people, twice meeting with the President of the United States. She also served as a guide and interpreter for those exploring the American West.

 

Counties

The counties of Nevada Girls State are always named in honor of distinguished members of the American Legion Family, Department of Nevada. This year, we have two counties, each consisting of an equal number of citizens, and they are named for:

  • GLYNIS SEELEY from Las Vegas who is our immediate-past Department President. A member of Las Vegas Unit 8, she is eligible through the service of her grandfather, a World War II veteran and through her late husband, Ed Seeley, who served in the Army during Vietnam. Glynis was aware of the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary from a young age, having accompanied her grandfather to his post when she was small. She joined the Auxiliary herself only after moving to Las Vegas and has since served in a number of different offices. At the Unit level she has served as Sergeant at Arms, Chaplain, Secretary, First Vice President, and President. At the District level, she has served as Chaplain, First Vice President, and President. At the Department level she has served as Sergeant at Arms and President. Glynis has also been a member of many of the American Legion Auxiliary program committees, including Constitution and Bylaws, Americanism, Membership, Finance, Poppy, Public Relations, Junior Activities, Community Service, and Legislative. Over the past year, Glynis has served as the Chairwoman of the National Western Division Public Relations Committee and she has been asked to serve as Chairwoman of the National Western Division Legislative Committee next year. Glynis has helped others through her work outside the Auxiliary as well. She attended Molly College in Long Island, New York, where she studied substance abuse counseling and the issue of addiction. After taking the State Examination, she became a fully credentialed Substance Abuse Counselor in the State of New York and, along with her husband, Ed (also a Substance Abuse Counselor), word for fifteen years. After both becoming nationally credentialed Substance Abuse Counselors, Glynis and Ed traveled around the country helping those with substance abuse problems, dedicating particular focus to veterans. Among their achievements, they worked to restructure a long-term, 60-bed treatment facility in upstate New York; in a maximum-security prison in Florida, bringing treatment to inmates; and with the Welfare to Work program back in New York. Glynis has one son, Greg, and is currently the Administrative Assistant to the American Legion Department of Nevada Adjutant.

Ed Seeley, Glynis’s husband, is also honored this year. Ed served his country as a member of the U.S. Army during Vietnam from 1966 to 1969. He served with the highly decorated 1st Cavalry Division and took part in the well-known Tet Offensive at Hue City in 1968. After leaving military service, Ed joined the American Legion in Greenpoint in Brooklyn, New York. During his time in the American Legion, Ed visited many veterans at the Brooklyn VA and New York City VA hospitals and he advocate for getting veterans to sign up for the Agent Orange Registry. After moving to Las Vegas, Ed remained involved in the American Legion. During his term as Post 14 Commander, he worked with the other officers to help Post 14 reach 100% membership in record time. He was twice elected to serve as District 2 Commander. Though he was diagnosed with cancer during his second term in that office he wouldn’t be stopped. Ed continued to visit Posts, assist new Commanders, and spend time on the phone answering questions and helping in any way he could. Ed passed away in November, still serving as District 2 Commander and having dedicated 27 years to serving our veterans and their families.

  • PAT SALMEN from Round Mountain, who is our immediate-past Department National Executive Committeewoman. A member of Big Smoky Valley Unit 18, she is eligible through the service of her grandfather, who served in the Army during World War I; her brother, who served in the Air Force during Vietnam; and her late husband Dale “Tiny” Salmen, who served in the Army during Vietnam. Pat has been a dedicated member of the American Legion Auxiliary for many years, holding the offices of President and Secretary/Treasurer in her Unit as well as holding chairwomanships of all committees at least once. She has also served as a District President multiple times over the years, and has previously held the offices of Department President, First Vice President, Chaplain, and Sergeant at Arms, as well the chairwomanships of the Children and Youth, Constitution and Bylaws, Junior Activities, Past Presidents’ Parley, Poppy, and Membership committees. Additionally, Pat has served the American Legion Auxiliary on the national level as the Western Division National Vice President, National Executive Committeewoman, Alternate National Executive Committeewoman, National Security Committeewoman, Mailroom Chairwoman for the 2007 National Convention held in Reno, and Western Division Legislative Committee Chairwoman. While doing all of this might easily have consumed all of Pat’s time, is hasn’t stopped her from being involved in other activities as well. She was employed as a secretary for thirty years and has owned three businesses in her life. She is also a member of the VFW Women’s Auxiliary and the Elks. Pat has a daughter and two grandsons, all of whom are also members of the American Legion Family, and she enjoys researching her genealogy in her spare time.

Dale “Tiny” Salmen, Pat’s husband, is also honored this year. Tiny served is country as a member of U.S. Army during Vietnam. With 31 years of continuous membership, Tiny dedicated countless hours to serving our veterans and their families. A member of Big Smoky Valley Unit 18, he was active from the Post level to the National level. In the Department, he served thirteen years as the Education and Scholarship Chairman, five years as the Oratorical Chairman, five years as the Boys State Chairman, two years as the Foreign Relations Chairman, and two years as the International Affairs Chairman. He was also, at various times, the Chairman of the Department Contest, Economic, and Employment committees, served as Department Sergeant at Arms, Vice Commander, and Commander. At the National level, Tiny served over the years as a National Vice Commander, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and as a member of the Executive, Americanism Commission Liaison, Constitution and Bylaws, Distinguished Guests, and Internal Affairs Commission Liaison committees. Sadly, Tiny passed away in April. He was as active in his community as he was with the American Legion and had spent time a few days before his death working with the high school boys golf team.

 

Parties

The political parties at Nevada Girls State are the same as almost every other Girls State in our nation: the Nationalist Party and the Federalist Party. Here, you will find our parties with equal membership, unless we have an odd number of delegates in attendance; then one party will have one additional member.