Ruthlane Uy Asmundson

Dr. Ruth Uy Asmundson (born September 21, 1945) served as Mayor of the City of Davis, California, from 2004-2006, and again from 2008-2010.^[1] A native of Gamu, Isabela, Philippines, Asmundson was the first female Filipino migrant to be elected into the position of mayor in an American city.^[2]

Political career

Asmundson was first elected to the City Council in 2002 and then reelected in 2006. She served as Mayor Pro Tem until 2008, when she took over as Mayor. In her first try at local politics in 2002, she garnered the highest number of votes among her fellow candidates. Hence, she became mayor pro-tempore from 2002 to 2004 and sat as mayor from 2004 to 2006. Asmundson graduated with a BS in chemistry from Adamson University in Manila. She went on to become a Fulbright Scholar in the US, earning an MS degree in Chemistry from Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. She was later awarded a PhD in Agricultural Chemistry from University of California Davis in 1972, again as a Fulbright Scholar. Ruth Uy Asmundson was the first Asian to be elected to the school board in Davis in the early 90s.

Mayor Ruth Uy Asmundson has been an advocate for stronger sister city relations throughout her tenure. Since her election, she had inked sister city relations with 4 cities in Asia, two of which are in the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna and Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. The strong research and academic communities in both cities closely mirror that of the city of Davis. Under her stewardship, residents claim that the City of Davis took big steps in economic development with the opening of big businesses in retail, restaurant and service industries. Davis residents also cite improvements in the promotion of culture and the arts through the expansion of art venues and the conversion of Davis’ Varsity Theatre into an independent film venue.

California assemblywoman Lois Wolk succinctly described Mayor Asmundson’s service to the City of Davis when she wrote, “Ruth is a smart, dedicated public servant who cares a great deal for our community and the people who live here…Ruth has served on a variety of appointed government boards and commissions, dealing with local and regional policy issues such as transportation, health care, and parks and recreation. She has always been a leader, never shying away from the controversial issues of the day, whatever they may be.”

Appreciative of her roots, Mayor Asmundson also regularly visits the Philippines and has provided assistance to projects in her hometown. The Uy family was responsible for building and furnishing a community library in Barangay Mabini Gamu, Isabela in 1998. Since the early 1990s, Mayor Asmundson has provided annual scholarships for needy students and supported faculty scholarship chairs in Adamson University. Her alma mater conferred on her the Outstanding Alumni of the Year in 2000 and 2003 for her contributions to the university and her achievements as a public official.

In conferring the Pamana ng Filipino Award to Mayor Ruth U. Asmundson, the President recognizes her exemplary public service in promoting culture and the arts as citizen and Mayor of the City of Davis, and success in promoting sister city relations with cities in the Philippines.

Personal

Ruth Uy Asmundson is the widow of Vigfus A. Asmundson, former Mayor of Davis and son of the UC Davis professor after whom Asmundson Hall is named - the Asmundson marriage is the only recorded instance in Californian history, whereby both husband and wife have held the mayoral seat in Davis. Dr. Asmundson married her now-deceased husband during his term as city mayor and has lived in Davis since at least 1973 - Vigfus was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in his later years^[3] and died on the April 28, 2003. The Asmundson children, all college graduates, are Alinia, Irena, Wilfred, Vigdis, Jonas and Sigrid. Wilfred and Jonas are actually the children of Dr Asmundson's sister, who lost her life to breast cancer in 1990, who were raised in the same household as their cousins whilst maintaining their original surnames.^[2]

Chemistry has been significant in Ruth Uy Asmundson’s life and the former mayor obtained a bachelor's degree in Chemistry at Adamson University in 1968. She then proceeded to complete her master’s and doctorate degrees as a Fulbright scholar at Wilkes University and the University of California, Davis (UCD), respectively. Following her tertiary studies in the US, Dr Asmundson returned to the Philippines to teach at Adamson University, a private Catholic institution in the Filipino capital of Manila. Vigfus Asmundson, a prominent lawyer in Davis who eventually became the city mayor in 1970, had accompanied Dr Asmundson on her return trip to her home country during this time and it is in the Philippines that the marriage proposal occurred. The pair subsequently wed following their arrival back in the United States, raised their family and Dr Asmundson eventually entered local politics with the encouragement of her ailing husband.^[3]

Awards

A review of Asmundson's life reveals a prolific history in the field of awards and accolades. Of particular note was her distinction as the Davis Citizen of the Year in 1990^[1] and when she was invited to Washington D.C. to receive recognition as one of the "100 Most Influential Pinays in the U.S." in 2007.^[4]

References