Cannon, Dr. Martha Hughes

Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon was elected to the Utah State Senate in 1896. She was the first woman state senator in the United States. Cannon had been a school teacher, newspaper typesetter, dish washer, and a secretary. She graduated from med…

Cannon, Dr. Martha Hughes

In 1896 Martha Hughes Cannon of Utah became the first woman in the United States elected to a state senate. She was a physician, married with two children. She campaigned as one of five candidates  running at large on the Democratic P…