叶梅(Mae Yih)原名鄧稚鳳(Chih Feng Dunn),1928年5月24日生于中国上海。她曾在上海的圣约翰大学就读。1948年9月,她转学到纽约市的巴纳德学院,1951年毕业,获得经济学学士学位。她去哥伦比亚大学攻读会计硕士学位,但没有完成。1953年,她嫁给了史蒂芬·叶(Stephen Yih),后来和斯蒂芬一起搬到了俄勒冈州的奥尔巴尼。
在奥尔巴尼,叶梅在她孩子的学校做志愿者,最终通过竞选进入当地的学校董事会。她于1969年开始在Clover Ridge小学董事会任职,1975年进入奥尔巴尼联合高中董事会。1976年,当地民主党主席邀请叶梅竞选俄勒冈州众议院议员。叶梅击败了一名在任14年的共和党对手,赢得了选举,于1977年就职。之后,她在众议院担任了三个两年任期的议员。1982年,叶梅决定竞选俄勒冈州参议员,并赢得选举,在1986年、1990年、1994年和1998年再次当选。叶梅当选为1993-1995年届会临时议长。她于2002年决定不再谋求连任,并于2003年1月卸任。
作为一名保守的民主党人,叶梅取得了许多成就,包括通过法律建立企业区以促进创造就业机会;设立俄勒冈州驻上海贸易代表办公室,以加强俄勒冈州与中国之间的贸易;推进儿童抚养立法以加快儿童抚养并减少公共援助;通过永久纠正立法起草错误,为林县(Linn County)居民提供平等的房产税减免;为地区青少年毒品和酒精治疗中心拨款;鼓励性禁欲以减少青少年怀孕的学校课程;为廊桥的修复和预防性维护提供彩票基金,以及一项评估威拉米特河(Willamette River)健康状况的研究。
叶梅还是农田燃烧的支持者,因为这比使用化学物质更有效地控制疾病和昆虫。伊于1983年提出并通过立法与中国福建省建立姐妹国家关系。1984年,她陪同俄勒冈州州长Atiyeh与福建省省长签署协议。1992年、1997年、2000年、2002年,叶梅先后组织立法院领导贸易代表团访问福建省及中国其他城市。1994年,叶梅被授予福建省荣誉市民称号。
2003年退休后,她获得了奥尔巴尼商会颁发的杰出服务奖。这也是她的丈夫在1968年获得的奖项。她的地区办公室所在的奥尔巴尼街叶巷(Yih Lane),就是以她的家族命名的。
Yih was born Chih Feng Dunn on May 24, 1928 in Shanghai, China. She went to St. John’s University in Shanghai. In September 1948, she transferred to Barnard College in New York City, graduating in 1951 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. She went to Columbia University for a master’s degree in accounting but did not complete. In 1953 she married Stephen Yih and later moved to Albany, Oregon with Stephen.
In Albany, Yih volunteered at her children’s school, eventually running for the local school board. She started service on the Clover Ridge Elementary School board in 1969, moving to the Albany Union High School board in 1975. In 1976, the local Democratic Party chairperson asked Yih to run for the Oregon State House. Yih won the election, defeating a Republican opponent who had 14 years of incumbency. Yih took office in 1977. She went on to serve three two-year terms in the House. In 1982, Yih decided to run for a seat in the Oregon State Senate. She won this election, and was re-elected in 1986, 1990, 1994, and 1998. Yih was elected Senate President Pro Tempore for the 1993–1995 session. Yih decided not to seek re-election in 2002 and retired at the end of her term in January 2003.
Known as a conservative Democrat, Yih’s many accomplishments included passage of laws establishing Enterprise Zones to promote job creations; Office of Oregon Trade Representative in Shanghai to enhance trade between Oregon and China; child support legislation to expedite child support and reduce public assistance; equal property tax relief for Linn County residents by correcting a legislative drafting error permanently; appropriation for regional Adolescent Drug & Alcohol Treatment Center; school curriculum to encourage sexual abstinence to reduce teen pregnancy; lottery funds for the rehabilitation and preventive maintenance of covered bridges and a study for assessing the health of the Willamette River. Yih was also known as a strong supporter of field burning because it is a more effective control of disease and insects than the use of chemicals. Yih introduced and passed legislation to establish sister state relationship with Fujian province, China in 1983. She accompanied Oregon governor Atiyeh to sign the agreement with Governor of Fujian province in 1984. Yih organized legislative leadership trade delegation to visit Fujian province and other cities in China in 1992, 1997, 2000, and 2002. Yih was awarded Honorary Citizen of Fujian Province in 1994.
Following her retirement in 2003, Yih received the Distinguished Service Award from the Albany Chamber of Commerce. This is the same award that her husband received in 1968. The Albany street Yih Lane, where her district office was, is named for her family.