Hattie Caraway

Hattie Ophelia Wyatt Caraway ( February 1, 1878 in Bakersville, Humphreys County, Tennessee, † December 21, 1950 in Falls Church, Virginia) was an American politician of the Democratic Party. From 1931 to 1945, she sat for the U.S. state of Arkansas in the U.S. Senate. She was the first woman in the Senate, who completed a full term.

Biography

Hattie Wyatt was born as the daughter of William Carroll Wyatt, a farm owner, and Lucy Mildred Burch. At the age of four, she moved to Tennessee with parents Hustburg. There she attended the Ebenizer College. At Dickson Normal College, she received her Bachelor of Arts in 1896 then. Until her marriage in 1902, Thaddeus H. Caraway, she taught as a teacher. After the wedding the Caraways moved to Jonesboro, Arkansas. Hattie took care of the three children of the couple, her husband worked in the meantime as a lawyer and launched a political career. 1912 her husband was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. There he sat until 1921, when he won the Senate election. After his death in November 1931 appointed governor Harvey Parnell Hattie successor. On December 9, 1931, she was appointed to office. In January 1932, she then won the scheduled election.

Senator

In May 1932, she surprised the politicians in Arkansas when she announced to run for a full term at the regular Senate elections in November 1932. During the campaign, she found support from prominent politicians, including Vice President Charles Curtis and Huey Pierce Long. It was confirmed in November 1932 with an overwhelming majority in office.

During her tenure, she sat in the following Committees: Agriculture and Forestry, Commerce and Enrolled Bills and Library. The latter she sat in front as chairman. She represented the interests of farmers in the Senate, campaigned for flood control and Veterans Affairs. It was considered to President Franklin D. Roosevelt as loyal, though they also represented a clear southern positions that were not on the line of Roosevelt.

In 1938, she introduced herself then the re-election, which could decide by an overwhelming majority. In her second term, she supported the Lend-Lease Act. In the primaries for the Senate election, 1944, she was defeated by J. William Fulbright, who could hold the seat for the Democrats.

Last years

After leaving the Senate, she was appointed by Roosevelt and his successor Harry S. Truman in several commissions. In January 1950, she then suffered a stroke. Then she withdrew completely from public life. On December 21, 1950 Caraway died in Falls Church, Virginia, from the effects of stroke. She was buried at the Oaklawn Cemetery in Jonesboro.

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