William Orton: “Mr. Speaker, in conjunction with Women's History Month, I rise today to pay tribute to an extraordinary woman in the…”

“Mr. Speaker, in conjunction with Women's History Month, I rise today to pay tribute to an extraordinary woman in the political history of our Nation: Martha Hughes Cannon. Born on July 1, 1857, Martha Hughes Cannon led a distinguished life that included completing medical school at the age of 23, starting a medical practice in Utah, working tirelessly for the cause of women's suffrage, establishing Utah's first training school for nurses, and becoming the first woman in the history of our Nation to be elected to a State Senate. Martha Hughes Cannon was elected to the Utah State Senate in 1896-- her achievement all the more noteworthy since she ran in a field that pitted her against her husband, Angus M. Cannon. As a State senator, she introduced legislation to provide education for deaf and blind children, to create a State board of health, and to provide for rules and regulations in a number of sanitation and public health areas. This year, Utah celebrates the 100th anniversary of its statehood. As part of statehood celebrations, a statue of Martha Hughes Cannon will be unveiled in the Utah State Capitol rotunda on July 24, 1996.”