Mary K. Shell

Mary Katherine Shell (; February 9, 1927 — May 19, 2018) was an American Republican politician who served as the 23rd Mayor of Bakersfield for a single term between 1981 and 1985. She was Bakersfield's first female mayor. She also served as a member of the Kern County Board of Supervisors.

Biography

Shell was born Mary Katherine Jaynes on February 9, 1927, in Bakersfield, California. They met when Shell worked on his gubernatorial campaign for the 1962 election.

Because Bakersfield uses a weak mayor system of government, her role was largely ceremonial, so she decided to not seek reelection in 1984, and was succeeded by Thomas Anthony Payne.

Later life

Shell served three terms on the Kern County Board of Supervisors between 1985 and 1996, being an opponent of government regulation. She was the second woman to serve on the Board of Supervisors. Pete Parra succeeded her on the county board after her retirement. She considered running for the State Senate's 15th district, but decided against it. Shell died in Bakersfield in 2018.

The Mary K. Shell Mental Health Center in Bakersfield is named after her.