This week marks 149 years since Seraph Young became the first woman in Utah and the United States to vote. To celebrate this occasion, it was announced that Ben Hammond will sculpt the statue of Martha Hughes Cannon that will be sent to Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. Cannon is known for being a suffragist, a doctor, and the first female state senator in the nation.
Descendants of Martha Hughes Cannon were present at the capitol to honor this event, and it was a moment where we could celebrate the progress of women in public service. The amount of progress that has been made since Seraph Young and Martha Hughes Cannon is monumental. Twenty-five women presently serve in the Utah Legislature which is a 20% increase from last year. For Utah, this historic number is based on the legacy that Martha Hughes Cannon started when she entered the Senate chambers for the first time in 1897. I was honored to be a part of this special celebration today. To celebrate the achievement of women in Utah politics, public service, business, and leadership isn’t just a celebration of women, but it is a celebration for all Utahns. I hope that every time my daughters come see me at the Capitol that they take note of the caliber of women leading the state of Utah into the twenty-first century.
These twenty-five current female lawmakers are paving the way for generations of Utah daughters to be State Representatives, State Senators, Governors, Congresswomen, US Senators, and Presidents of the United States.149 years ago, Seraph Young cast a single vote. That one vote changed the course of our state’s and nation’s history. Seraph Young was only one person, but it merely takes one to transform a nation into its God-given potential.
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