The chamber in which the Fitchburg Common Council meets will now be named for former Mayor Frances Huntley-Cooper, but the council opted not to rename its municipal building after her, choosing instead to prohibit naming buildings that provide “core city services” after anyone.
Huntley-Cooper was mayor from 1991-1993, and remains the only Black elected mayor in Wisconsin history.
“I was approached by a group of community leaders who were interested in renaming city hall and I didn’t really even know what the process was for doing something like that,” alder Joe Maldonado said in an interview. That group of community leaders, led by Boys and Girls Club CEO Michael Johnson, proposed the idea in November.
“As a former Fitchburg resident, I watched the impact that Frances has made on our community and would like to recommend that the City Council take a vote to name your municipal building in her honor,” Johnson wrote in an open letter to current Mayor Aaron Richardson. “Frances Huntley-Cooper served as Fitchburg mayor from 1991 to 1993, and is the first and only African-American woman elected to lead a Wisconsin City. Her life and legacy is important to the city of Fitchburg and to the State of Wisconsin and we should celebrate, and acknowledge her contributions to Wisconsin.”
But after introducing and discussing the idea at a Committee of the Whole meeting in January, Maldonado said, “I didn’t get a sense that the council would pass the building naming resolution. So we circled back with city staff and with the committee just to figure out what other options are on the table.”
Another room in the municipal building is named for Jeanie Sieling, who was Fitchburg’s first woman mayor from 1985-88, providing a precedent to rename a room in Huntley-Cooper’s honor. Richardson introduced a resolution to rename the council chamber, and that resolution passed unanimously with Alder Jay Allen abstaining.
“I really did appreciate that because it was unexpected to me. It was unexpected for (Johnson) to even introduce that, so that was so touching,” Huntley-Cooper said in an interview Wednesday. “I really have to give Michael Johnson a shoutout, and for even thinking about this, thinking about the history. And I want to acknowledge also the individuals who came out, the organizations who came out in support of this resolution.”
She said she was aware of the historic nature of her term as mayor, but hasn’t thought about it a lot.
“ It wasn’t about me as much as the history that was made in the city of Fitchburg. I think that’s important for the public to understand, I was the representative for the voters,” she said. “You get elected, you get into a position, you do your job, and then you move on. I never even thought about this. I never thought where the history was.”
“I want to thank the Fitchburg City Council for renaming the Council Chambers after Frances Huntley-Cooper,” Johnson said in a statement. “Thank you to Joe Maldonado for sponsoring the resolution and thank you to every alder who voted to support it. While I am disappointed they did not vote to name the building after Frances I respect the decision.”
Also at this week’s council meeting, Alders Jim Wheeler and Dave Herbst proposed a resolution prohibiting the city from naming any building providing “core city services” for anything other than the functional use of that building. The resolution specifically names City Hall, Senior Center, Community Center, Police Stations, Public Safety Facilities, Fire Stations, and Public Works Facilities, meaning new buildings such as the Fish Hatchery Neighborhood Hub or the new teen center could be named for people.
“I always thought it was bad public policy” to name municipal buildings after people, Wheeler said. “We all have our own criteria on who is the most important person. … It’s pretty divisive in and of itself when you say you want to name a building that basically belongs to the public. … I really believe in this community and I believe this community should come first, and no one should have their name on the building that has a core city service that references that person instead of the citizens.”
Maldonado noted during the meeting that both New York City and Los Angeles have municipal headquarters named for former mayors.
“I don’t think we should prohibit naming things after people because everything in Fitchburg is named after somebody,” he said in an interview after the meeting. “McKee Road, McKee Farms Park, Richardson Street … our whole city is named after former farm owners, landowners, mayors, village presidents. Our schools are named after people. Our whole UW Madison campus is named after people.”
Maldonado and Julia Arrata-Frata voted against the resolution, which ultimately passed.
“I think (renaming the council chamber) is the least we could do to honor Frances. And I think there are other things we can do, but for now this is, I think, a good first step,” Maldonado said. “I guess it’s a small win, but we could do better. I am glad that she’s being honored for this, but I think the city could have done better.”
Huntley-Cooper remains the only Black elected mayor in Wisconsin history, though two Black men have served as acting mayor of Milwaukee, including current Mayor Cavalier Johnson. Johnson won the primary to replace former Mayor Tom Barrett with a commanding 42 percent of the vote and could become the first Black elected mayor of Milwaukee, and second Black mayor in state history, next month.
