Orrin Hatch: “I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable Utahn whose impact has been felt by generations of Americans every day: the…”

“I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable Utahn whose impact has been felt by generations of Americans every day: the ``Father of Television,'' Mr. Philo T. Farnsworth. A true American inventor, Farnsworth's image has graced Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol Building since 1990 in larger-than-life fashion, as one of two statue contributions by Utah. Just a few months ago, the Utah State Legislature voted to replace the Farnsworth statue with that of Martha Hughes Cannon, the first woman State senator in Utah and the Nation. Her influence as a Mormon pioneer, a Utah women's rights advocate, and early female physician opened doors and paved the way for millions to follow. In 1896, when she defeated her own husband to become the first female State senator elected in the United States, she made history for our State and for women across the country. Martha's contributions have been far-reaching in Utah, but in no way should the changing of the statues diminish the contributions of Philo T. Farnsworth as one of America's greatest innovators. I have always been proud to show the thousands of constituents who visit the Capitol each year the Farnsworth statue. This iconic sculpture has been a wonderful representation of the traits that our State was founded on: hard work, innovation, and industry. Farnsworth was born in 1906 in Beaver, UT, a small rural town settled in 1856 by Mormon pioneers traveling the road to southern Utah.…”