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Cancer Claims CWA Pioneer Selina Stanford, Retired Staffer
Selina Burch Stanford, whose CWA staff career spanned more than three decades, died Oct. 20 of cancer at Hospice Atlanta. She was 75.
From a Southern Bell telephone operator, she rose to administrative assistant to the vice president of District 3 and served briefly as administrative assistant to the CWA president.
She is fondly remembered by retired District 3 Vice President Allen Willis as “an outstanding union representative with a brilliant mind. She was a tireless worker, dedicated to the CWA membership. She was my best friend and I will miss her greatly.”
Then Selina Burch, she joined the operator ranks in her hometown of Dublin, Ga., in 1945 at age 17 and joined one of CWA’s predecessor unions, the Southern Federation of Telephone Workers.
She survived a 47-day strike in 1947, transferred to Charleston, S.C., and in 1952 was elected secretary of CWA Local 3407. The following year she was elected recording secretary of the Charleston CIO City Council.
In 1954, Burch became the first woman elected president of her local and the following year joined the staff as a CWA representative and organizer.
In 1956, she became North Louisiana director, servicing locals in the north, central and southwestern portions of the state and devoted much of her time to helping build the state Democratic Party.
In 1964 she was reassigned to Atlanta and in 1974 she became Georgia and Florida area director. The following year Willis tapped her as his administrative assistant.
Willis called her “an independent woman, a strong person” who pushed to develop female leadership within CWA. He said she campaigned actively for House Majority Leader Hale Boggs (D-La.), who died in a plane crash in 1972, and set up phone banks for Atlanta mayors Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young, and in 1976 for Jimmy Carter in his campaign for president.
From 1978 to 1980, Burch served as administrative assistant to CWA President Glenn Watts in Washington, D.C., then returned to Atlanta as administrative assistant to the vice president.
She changed her last name when she married, in 1981. She retired in July 1991.
Among her survivors is her husband, retired labor lawyer Morgan Callaway “Cal” Stanford, a stepdaughter, Margaret Pavey of Mableton, Ga., and a niece, Jane Callaway of Dublin.
From a Southern Bell telephone operator, she rose to administrative assistant to the vice president of District 3 and served briefly as administrative assistant to the CWA president.
She is fondly remembered by retired District 3 Vice President Allen Willis as “an outstanding union representative with a brilliant mind. She was a tireless worker, dedicated to the CWA membership. She was my best friend and I will miss her greatly.”
Then Selina Burch, she joined the operator ranks in her hometown of Dublin, Ga., in 1945 at age 17 and joined one of CWA’s predecessor unions, the Southern Federation of Telephone Workers.
She survived a 47-day strike in 1947, transferred to Charleston, S.C., and in 1952 was elected secretary of CWA Local 3407. The following year she was elected recording secretary of the Charleston CIO City Council.
In 1954, Burch became the first woman elected president of her local and the following year joined the staff as a CWA representative and organizer.
In 1956, she became North Louisiana director, servicing locals in the north, central and southwestern portions of the state and devoted much of her time to helping build the state Democratic Party.
In 1964 she was reassigned to Atlanta and in 1974 she became Georgia and Florida area director. The following year Willis tapped her as his administrative assistant.
Willis called her “an independent woman, a strong person” who pushed to develop female leadership within CWA. He said she campaigned actively for House Majority Leader Hale Boggs (D-La.), who died in a plane crash in 1972, and set up phone banks for Atlanta mayors Maynard Jackson and Andrew Young, and in 1976 for Jimmy Carter in his campaign for president.
From 1978 to 1980, Burch served as administrative assistant to CWA President Glenn Watts in Washington, D.C., then returned to Atlanta as administrative assistant to the vice president.
She changed her last name when she married, in 1981. She retired in July 1991.
Among her survivors is her husband, retired labor lawyer Morgan Callaway “Cal” Stanford, a stepdaughter, Margaret Pavey of Mableton, Ga., and a niece, Jane Callaway of Dublin.