Martha Hughes Cannon Is To Be Honored with a Statue in Washington D.C.

Martha Hughes Cannon was the first woman elected to the Utah State Senate, She served from 1897-1900.

A bill to create a statue honoring Martha Hughes Cannon was passed one year ago.  To commemorate these events, the Martha Hughes Cannon Oversight Committee announced it selected artist Ben Hammond from 25 applicants to sculpt a statue in her honor. Martha was a women's right advocate and suffragist, and Utah State Senator.

The statue will be placed in the National Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol. There are nine statues of women in the National Statuary Hall collection in Washington, D.C., where two figures of historic significance represent each state. There are 13 statues of men  

Martha Hughes Cannon

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Martha Hughes Cannon
Member of the Utah Senate from the 6th district
In office January 11, 1897 – January 13, 1901
Preceded by	George Mousley Cannon
Succeeded by	Hoyt Sherman Jr.
Personal details
Born	Martha Maria Hughes July 1, 1857 Llandudno, Gwynedd, Wales
Died	July 10, 1932 (aged 75) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place	Salt Lake City Cemetery 40.777°N 111.858°W
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Angus M. Cannon
Children	Elizabeth R.C. McCrimmon James Hughes Cannon Gwendolyn H.C. Quick
Parents	Peter Hughes Elizabeth Evans
Alma mater	University of Deseret University of Michigan University of Pennsylvania

Martha Maria "Mattie" Hughes Cannon (July 1, 1857 – July 10, 1932) was a Welsh-born immigrant to the United States, a polygamous wife, physician, Utah women's rights advocate and suffragist, and Utah State Senator. Her family immigrated to the United States as converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and traveled West to settle in Utah territory with other Mormons. She started working at the age of fourteen. At sixteen she enrolled in the University of Deseret, now called the University of Utah, receiving a Bachelors in Chemistry. From there she attended the University of Michigan and received her MD. She became the fourth of six wives in a polygamous marriage to Angus M. Cannon, a prominent Mormon leader during the anti-polygamy crusade. Cannon exiled herself to Europe so she wouldn't have to testify against her husband. Upon returning to Utah, Cannon worked as a doctor and fought for women's rights. She helped put women enfranchisement into Utah's constitution when it was granted statehood in 1896. On November 3, 1896 Cannon became the first female State Senator elected in the United States, defeating her own husband, who was also on the ballot. Martha Hughes Cannon was the author of Utah sanitation laws and was a founder and member of Utah's first State Board of Health.^[1]:10–90

 Statue of Marth Hues Cannon on the grounds of the Utah State Capital