Julia C. Addington of Stacyville, Iowa (1829-1875) was the first woman elected to office in Iowa. After a career teaching in Waterloo, Cedar Falls, Des Moines, and Osage, Addington was appointed Mitchell County Superintendent of Schools and subsequently elected to the position in 1869 by drawing the winning lot after a tie vote against her male opponent. The State Attorney General determined that the law did not prohibit a female from taking the office, and Addington served until 1871 when ill health forced her to retire. Addington has often been thought to be the first woman elected to office in the U.S., although it is now known that at least two women preceded her: Ashfield, Massachusetts school board members Lydia Hall and Marietta Patrick, both elected in 1855.