In her new biography, "Sophie: The Incomparable Mayor Masloff," Dr. Barbara Burstin provides the first comprehensive assessment of the life and career of Sophie Masloff, who was the mayor of Pittsburgh from 1988 and 1994.
Sophie, as she was universally known, is a singular figure in Pittsburgh history. The child of poor Romanian immigrants, she became a stalwart of the local Democratic Party through decades of hard work. Following the death of Mayor Richard S. Caliguiri, she became the only Jewish and only female mayor of Pittsburgh, leading the city through one of its most difficult periods.
The Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives is hosting an intimate, one-night-only look at Sophie’s life and career on
Thursday, March 5 from 6 - 8 p.m.
at the Heinz History Center.
This
free
program includes remarks by Mayor Bill Peduto; a panel discussion with Sophie's finance director Jim Turner and KDKA reporter
Paul Martino; a presentation from cartoonist Tim Menees; a rare exhibition of Sophie’s personal archives; and an opportunity to purchase Dr. Burstin’s book.
[IMAGE: Sophie Masloff greeting a constituent, 1990s. Sophie Masloff Papers and Photographs, MSS 589.]