November 21: First Female Senator

On 21 November 1922, Rebecca Latimer Felton became the first women to serve in the United States Senate. Felton was appointed by Governor Thomas W. Hardwick to fill the seat of Senator Thomas E. Watson who died while in office.

Danuta Bois explains Felton’s political positions; that she: “gave lectures supporting education for women, women’s suffrage (the right to vote) and prison reform. She opposed the practice of leasing convicts for work. She was also a member of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. She was an outspoken critic of Catholics, Jews, Negroes, evolution and child labor laws.” She was also a Democratic progressive who served as a delegate to the 1912 Progressive Party Convention that nominated Teddy Roosevelt.

At the age of 87, Felton was the oldest Freshman Senator to be sworn into office. In addition, she also served the shortest term in office; just 24 hours. The reason for her short tenure was that, when she was appointed on October 22, the Senate was not expected to go back into session until after the special which was held to fill Senator Watson’s seat.

Felton was not a candidate in the special election which was won by Walter F. George. However, when the Senate reconvened on November 21, George did not immediately take his seat so that Felton could be sworn in. The following day, George was sworn into office and Felton’s Senate career ended.

During her brief tenure in the Senate, Felton said, “When the women of the country come in and sit with you, though there may be but very few in the next few years, I pledge you that you will get ability, you will get integrity of purpose, you will get exalted patriotism, and you will get unstinted usefulness.”

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–Steven L. Berg, PhD

Photo Caption: Rebecca Latimer Felton


Although Today in History is primarily student written, there are some days when we do not have a student author. You will enjoy another student entry on November 25.

Posted on by Schoolcraft College Student
Categories: American History: Modern
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4 Responses

  1. Evan DeFoe says:
    25 November 2012 at 11:14 pm

    Keeping in theme with the firsts of the senate, I’d like to mention the first Catholic senator: Charles Carroll of Carrollton. He was elected on March 4, 1792 by the Maryland legislature, making him one of the first 26 members of the United States senate. Prior to this, he: was one of the leading opponents of British rule prior to the Revolution; was a member of Maryland’s committee of correspondence, and represented Maryland in other pre-revolutionary groups; was a delegate of the Continental Congress; signed the Declaration of Independence, making him the only Catholic to have done so; and served on the Maryland State Senate. Carroll remained in the US senate until resigning on November 30, 1792 when a law in the state prevented anyone from serving in both the state and national legislatures at the same time. During his political career, Carroll opposed the confiscation of loyalist property, as well as slavery, by introducing a bill for the abolition of slavery in Maryland.

    Today, Roman Catholics are represented by 26 members of the Senate for the 25.9% of the population.

    -Evan DeFoe

    Reply
  2. Andrea Baird says:
    8 December 2012 at 2:34 pm

    This article goes to show that women have been making an impact on “men’s jobs”, for a long time coming. Felton was just one of the first women that, now today can be seen as a role model. Just last month an article was posted by, “The Daily Best” this article showcased some of the women that today are making history in congress. Today the House will hold 28 women of “color”. In addition New Hampshire became the first state to have women in all top elected positions. This just shows that even though Felton’s time was brief , he famous quote is holding true to that of today.

    http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/08/2012-election-brings-stunning-array-of-firsts-for-women-in-congress.html

    Reply
  3. Jessica Linderman says:
    8 December 2012 at 7:06 pm

    If you look at women’s roles throughout history you often find their rights and the positions they can hold are not at the same level of those that men hold. This is true in almost all ancient societies, except for Egypt. In theory they were primarily equal to men. In Ancient Egypt women were allowed to sue, file for divorce, and own property. They had claims for one-third of all community property in their marriage. Most importantly they could play a part in legal procedings. Rebecca Latimer Felton was not the first woman to participate in the government in the United States, but like Egyptian women, any participation is important.

    Reply
  4. Zach Yates says:
    9 December 2012 at 3:03 pm

    It is often said that “America means progress” and Rebecca Latimer Felton is a prime example of this statement, along with many other famous and/or infamous women. Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Rosa Parks is often regarded as the mother of the freedom movement. Maya Angelou is an influential poet and author who was one of the first African American woman to publish and distribute a work about her life, especially in her autobiography “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings”. Many women throughout history broke the mold to make the world more equal.

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