One of California’s most significant events came after the second decade of the twentieth century, when the progressive Republican’s rose to power. Hiram Johnson, the leading American progressive during the time, vowed to “kick the Southern Pacific Railroad out of the Republican Party” and to return state control to the voters to enact legislation for the greater good of society. To achieve these progressive goals, commissions were set up in order to investigate working conditions amongst other industrial accidents. By 1913 the legislature created the first Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC), whose task was to investigate the working conditions and wages of both women and children. This legislation was greatly supported by Katherine Philips Edson who was the most influential member during the time. Katherine Edson was the first woman to be appointed to the IWC as an executive committee officer, serving for nearly eighteen years (1916–1931). A lot of the accomplishments of the IWC, during the first couple of years were due to Edson's social activism. Edson drafted bills and lobbied legislature, gaining the support of many different women's groups. Additionally, under Edson's leadership a lot of the employers came to agreements with the employees during the advisory wage boards that she usually chaired.