Archives West Finding Aid

Floyd Brown Danskin was born in Aulne, Kansas, in 1889, the son of J.H. Danskin, a store keeper and postmaster. He graduated from Marion, Kansas High School in 1907 and attended the University of Kansas where he received his BA in 1912 and his MA in 1913. After working in economics at the University of Kansas, he accepted a fellowship at the University of Wisconsin to assist Halford Erickson, an expert in transportation problems.

Following his family, who had moved to Valleyford, Washington in 1911, Danskin moved to Spokane where he worked as an attorney and was known as a "prominent clubman." After serving in World War I, he became active in state politics and was elected to the State House of Representatives from the 5th District in 1921. In 1925, he was elected Speaker of the House. Danskin served in the State Legislature from 1921-1931 where he was known for his sense of duty and independence. An influential leader of the Republican Party, he was an active supporter of Governor Roland H. Hartley, who served two terms between 1925 and 1933.

In 1929, Danskin married Hannah Mitchell of Lawrence, Kansas. He was a prominent attorney in Spokane for fifty years and was associated with the law firm of Randall and Danskin. He died March 31, 1971, at the age of 82.

Hannah Mitchell Danskin was a member of a prominent family from Lawrence, Kansas. Her father, A.C. Mitchell, was a lawyer and U.S. Congressman and her mother was the head of the Kansas Industrial Welfare Commission, active in Republican politics and the Federation of Womens Clubs. Her brother, A.B. Mitchell, served as the attorney general in Kansas in the 1940s.

Hannah Mitchell graduated from the University of Kansas in 1912, the same class as Floyd Danskin. After attending the Pulitzer School of Journalism at Columbia University in New York City, Mitchell returned to Kansas to work on a newspaper in her hometown of Lawrence. She eventually landed a job at the Kansas City Star, a newspaper known to oppose employment of women on their editorial staff. During her two years there, she wrote articles pertaining to womens interests and activities as well as a column for children called "The Tell Me A Story Lady." Mitchell was also active in Kansas City womens groups and was elected president of a newly organized group called Junior Athenaeum, which supported community improvement activities.

In 1918, Mitchell became a Washington correspondent for the New York Tribune. She wrote articles pertaining to the political and economic roles of women in government, business, and industry and witnessed the debate and passage of the 19th Amendment, which extended the vote to women. She also attended the 1920 Republican Convention as a correspondent for the New York Tribune. Later, she worked on the Sunday Magazine of the New York Tribune.

In 1923, Mitchell taught a course of short story writing at the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. She also maintained her own publicity office in New York. During this period, she wrote several articles for various magazines and newspapers and remained active womens organizations such as the New York League of Women Voters and the New York Newspaper Womens Club.

In 1927, Mitchell became the resident editor of the Scarsdale Inquirer,a weekly paper owned and operated by the local womens club. She resigned her petition after two years to marry Floyd B. Danksin.

Mrs. Danskin remained active in community affairs after moving to Spokane with her husband. Active in the Republican Party, she attended the 1932 Republican Convention and in 1936 was elected vice chairman of the State Republican Committee. Also in 1936, she was elected secretary of the Washington delegation and attended the 1936 Republican Convention as one of sixty women (out of 1,003 delegates). There she met with Alf Landon, the Republication presidential nominee and a past associate of her father.

Mrs. Danskin was also active in the YWCA, the City Library Board, The Spokane Chronicle Editorial Board, and the Spokane Press Club. She was elected president of the Spokane City Federation of Womens Organizations in 1941 and remained active in Theta Sigma Phi, a national journalism sorority. She died on July 25, 1961.