Louise Day Hicks

Louise Day Hicks
Hicks c. 1969
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 9th district
In office January 3, 1971 – January 3, 1973
Preceded by	John W. McCormack
Succeeded by	Joe Moakley
President of the Boston City Council
In office 1976
Preceded by	Gerald O'Leary
Succeeded by	Joseph M. Tierney
Member of the Boston City Council
In office 1979–1981
Preceded by	James Michael Connolly
Succeeded by	John W. Sears
In office 1974–1978
In office 1970–1971
Succeeded by	Dapper O'Neil
Chair of the Boston School Committee
In office 1963–1965
Preceded by	Joseph Lee
Succeeded by	Thomas S. Eisenstadt
Member of the Boston School Committee
In office 1961–1970
Personal details
Born	Anna Louise Day (1916-10-16)October 16, 1916 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	October 21, 2003(2003-10-21) (aged 87) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Resting place	Saint Joseph Cemetery West Roxbury, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	John Hicks
Parent(s)	William J. Day Anna (née McCarron) Day
Alma mater	Wheelock College (B.A., Education) Boston University (B.S., 1952; J.D., 1955)

Anna Louise Day Hicks (October 16, 1916 – October 21, 2003) was an American politician and lawyer from Boston, Massachusetts, best known for her staunch opposition to desegregation in Boston public schools, and especially to court-ordered busing, in the 1960s and 1970s. A longtime member of Boston's school board and city council, she served one term in the United States House of Representatives, succeeding Speaker of the House John W. McCormack.

The daughter of a wealthy and prominent attorney and judge, Hicks attended Simmons College and received her qualification as a teacher from Wheelock College. She worked as a first-grade teacher prior to marrying in 1942. After the births of her two children, Hicks returned to school and completed a Bachelor of Science degree at Boston University in 1952. In 1955, she received a JD from Boston University Law School, attained admission to the bar, and entered into partnership with her brother as the firm of Hicks and Day.

In 1960, Hicks won election to Boston's school board, where she served until 1970, including holding the position of chairwoman from 1963 to 1965. During her tenure on the school committee, she came into conflict with civil rights groups and black residents of Boston over her opposition to plans to integrate schools by busing students between districts to achieve racial balance. In addition, for 114 days in the summer of 1965, the Reverend Vernon Carter, pastor of All Saints Lutheran Church in the Southend of Boston protested in front of the school committee building in which Hicks entered and exited frequently.^[1][2] In 1967, she ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Boston. From 1970 to 1971, she served on the Boston City Council. In 1970, she won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House seat of the retiring John McCormack. She went on to win the general election and serve one term, 1971 to 1973. In 1971, she was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Boston. She was defeated for reelection to Congress in 1972 by Joe Moakley, a Democrat who ran as an independent.

After leaving Congress, Hicks was the head of an anti-busing group, "Restore Our Alienated Rights" (ROAR), which remained active until a 1976 federal court decision mandated busing to achieve integration in public schools. In 1974, Hicks returned to the Boston City Council, and she served until 1978, including holding the council president's position in 1976. She lost reelection in 1977, but was appointed to fill a vacancy in 1979. She served until 1981, and was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection. Hicks died in Boston in 2003.