In this third and final part of the “Famous Firsts” series, we’ll introduce some of the first women who were able to break into national politics. These women were groundbreaking in their fields and created changes at the highest level of government within this country. Until recently, American politics have been reserved solely for men. And there are still positions that have yet to be held by a woman. These individuals are helping to change that.
Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. Despite graduating a year early from Stanford Law, she struggled to find employment due to heavy bias against female attorneys. Her first position as an attorney did not even pay her! In 1954, O’Connor moved to Germany and worked as a civilian attorney. When she returned, she worked as the Assistant Attorney General of Arizona and was appointed to the Arizona State Senate. She was re-elected to that position twice and served as the first female majority leader in any state senate. In 1975, she won the election for a seat in the Superior Court of Maricopa County and was appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court of Appeals four years later. After only two years in that role, in 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated O’Connor to become the first female justice on the United States Supreme Court. She was unanimously approved by the Senate. Throughout her two decades on the court, the conservative judge became known as an unpredictable voter. She was known for both being a majority builder when possible but also for being a swing vote in divisive cases. She did not take her responsibility lightly and worked to break female stereotypes throughout her time on the court. O’Connor retired from the bench in 2006 to care for her husband and since has been a strong advocate for educating America’s youth on how they can be involved in both civics and government. O’Connor has truly become a champion of women in politics.
Madeleine Albright became the first female US Secretary of State who served from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. She was appointed in 1992 by Clinton as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and held that position for five years until she was appointed as Secretary of State. Albright was unanimously confirmed by the Senate. Quickly, she gained a reputation as a fierce advocate for American interests while also promoting an increased role of the United States within the UN. She left her post as Secretary of State with President Clinton at the end of his term in 2001. Albright continues to support women in politics throughout the country.
Although no woman has yet to win a presidential election, Victoria Woodhull became the first female to run for President in the United States IN 1872. She was the first woman to own a brokerage firm on Wall Street and the first woman to start a weekly newspaper. As a public champion for women’s rights, she addressed the House Judiciary Committee on Constitutional Equality. This lecture connected her to the leadership of the suffrage movement and eventually led to her candidacy for President for the Equal Rights Party 50 years before women had the right to vote.
In all three parts of this series, we introduced you to women who changed the status quo and served as voices for the women in their communities, states, and country. Today, there are still positions that have yet to be held by a woman, and there are still more “Famous Firsts” to be written about. By supporting organizations like WPLN, men and women can come together to create, empower, and make more first happen as we move toward a more representative democracy.
If you missed parts 1 and 2 of this series, be sure to check them out: