| Hattie Caraway |
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(Hattie Ophelia Wyatt Caraway)
First woman elected to the United States Senate
Born in Tennessee, Hattie Wyatt graduated from Dickson Normal in 1896. She married fellow student Thaddeus Horatius Caraway and moved with him to Arkansas.
Her husband practiced law while she cared for their children and their farm. Her husband was elected to Congress in 1912 and women won the vote in 1920: while Hattie Caraway took it as her duty to vote, her focus remained on homemaking. Her husband was re-elected to his Senate Seat in 1926 and 1932, but then died unexpectedly.
Arkansas Governor Harvey Parnell then appointed Hattie Caraway to her husband's Senate seat. She was sworn in on December 9, 1931 and was confirmed in a special election January 12, 1932. She thus became the first woman elected to the United States Senate -- Rebecca Latimer Felton had previously served a 'courtesy' appointment of one day.
Hattie Caraway maintained a "housewife" image and made no speeches on the floor of the Senate, earning the nickname "Silent Hattie." But she had learned from her husband's years of public service about a legislator's responsibilities, and she took them seriously, building a reputation for integrity.
She took Arkansas politicians by surprise when, presiding over the Senate one day at the invitation of the Vice President, she took advantage of the public attention to this event by announcing her intention to run for reelection. She won, aided by a 9-day campaign tour by populist Huey Long, who saw her as an ally.
She maintained an independent stance, though she was usually supportive of New Deal legislation. She remained, however, a prohibitionist and voted with many other southern senators against anti-lynching legislation. In 1936, she was joined in the Senate by Rose McConnell Long, Huey Long's widow, also appointed to fill out her husband's term (and also winning re-election).
In 1938, Caraway ran again, opposed by Congressman John L. McClellan with the slogan "Arkansas needs another man in the Senate." She was supported by organizations representing women, veterans and union members, and won the seat by eight thousand votes.
When she ran again in 1944 at age 66, her opponent was 39-year-old Congressman William Fulbright. Hattie Caraway ended up in fourth place in the primary election, and summed it up when she said, "The people are speaking."
She was appointed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Federal Employees' Compensation Commission, and later to the Employees' Compensation Appeals Board. She resigned after suffering a stroke in January, 1950, and died that December.
| Hattie Caraway on the Web |
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Biographical Information
Official Congress site biography.Cartoon from a Broadside
A contemporary cartoon, from Caraway's re-election bid.Jane Eads Bancroft - Portrait
Bancroft interviews Caraway, about 1940 (newspaper photo).Pages From Arkansas' Past
A photo of Caraway from a video documentary.The Political Graveyard: Arkansas: U.S. Senators
Information on the final resting place of Hattie Caraway and her husband, both U.S. Senators.U.S. Senate Portrait
Highlights a graphic of the 1996 oil portrait of Caraway which hangs in the Senate. Short biography.
| Bibliography |
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- Silent Hattie Speaks: The Personal Journal of Senator Hattie Caraway: Diane D. Kincaid, editor. 1979.
- Hattie and Huey: David Malone. 1989.
Text copyright 1999-2006 © Jone Johnson Lewis.
