Della Hadley, an American politician and member of the Missouri House of Representatives from 1975 to 1981, died on March 18, 2026, at age 97.
Della May Hadley was born in Lawrence, Kansas, on January 27, 1929. She was educated at Lawrence public schools, the University of Kansas and Purdue University, earning a degree in political science.
Hadley was elected to the Kansas City School Board in 1973, and served as the lead plaintiff in Hadley v. Junior College District of Metropolitan Kansas City, a one-man-one-vote case that reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
Della May Hadley (January 27, 1929 – March 18, 2026) was an American politician who served as a Missouri state representative.