Caraway, Hattie Wyatt, 1878-1950

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Hattie Ophelia Wyatt Caraway (February 1, 1878 – December 21, 1950) was an American politician who became the first woman elected to serve a full term as a United States Senator. Caraway represented Arkansas. She was the first woman to preside over the Senate. She won reelection to a full term in 1932 with the active support of fellow Senator Huey Long, of neighboring Louisiana. She was the first woman to win a election for the United States Senate.

A native of Humphreys County, Tennessee, Hattie Wyatt married Thaddeus H. Caraway, a former classmate at Dickson College and future United States Congressman (1913-1921) and United States Senator (1921-1931). After her husband's death, Arkansas governor Harvey Parnell appointed Hattie Caraway to the vacant seat, and she was sworn into office on December 9. With the Democratic Party of Arkansas's backing, she easily won a special election in January 1932 for the remaining months of the term, becoming the first woman elected to the Senate. She won reelection in her own right to the seat later in 1932 with the help of Louisiana Gov. Huey Long, who campaigned for her. Caraway was reelected again in 1938 but failed in her bid for a third term in 1944. In her 13 years in the Senate, she was the first woman to preside over a session of that body and the first to serve as a committee chairman.

On her final day in the Senate, she received a rare standing ovation from her all-male colleagues. Franklin Roosevelt then appointed her to the Employees' Compensation Commission, and in 1946, President Harry S. Truman gave her a post on the Employees' Compensation Appeals Board, on which she served until suffering a stroke in January 1950. She died on December 21 of the same year in Falls Church, Virginia, and was buried in Oaklawn Cemetery in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Smith, Griffin, 1885-1955. Griffin Smith papers, 1919-1932. Arkansas History Commission, Department of Archives and History
referencedIn Papers, 1898, 1909-1963 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Records of the Wage and Hour Division, 1922 - 1986. Correspondence with Members of Congress, 1938 - 1952 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Chief of Staff (Clinton Administration), 1993 - 2001. Tom Shea's Files , 1993 - 1994 William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
referencedIn Bertha S. Adkins Papers. 1928 - 1983. Personal Files, 1928 - 1983 Dwight D. Eisenhower Library
referencedIn Records of the Office of Speechwriting (Clinton Administration), 1993 - 2001. Carolyn Curiel's Files, 1993 - 1997 William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
referencedIn Rayburn, Sam, 1882-1961, Papers, 1822, 1831, 1845, 1903-2007 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
creatorOf Caraway, Hattie Wyatt, 1878-1950. Scrapbooks, Feb. 21, 1927-Apr. 10, 1944 University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, University Libraries
referencedIn Walter John Lemke papers, 1821-1969 (bulk 1926-1969). University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, University Libraries
referencedIn Records of the U.S. Senate, 1789 - 2015. Credentials, 1789 - 1998 National Archives Library, National Archives Records Administration
referencedIn Records of Naval Districts and Shore Establishments, 1784 - 2000. Correspondence Concerning Ships, 1937 - 1954 National Archives at Boston
referencedIn Blair, Diane D., 1938-. Diane D. Blair papers [manuscript] 1874-2000 University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, University Libraries
referencedIn Winkler, John Bunyan, b. 1875. John Bunyan Winkler papers, 1914-1944. Arkansas History Commission, Department of Archives and History
referencedIn President's Personal Files, 1945-1953 Harry S. Truman Library
referencedIn Records of the National Park Service, 1785 - 2006. National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records, 2013 - 2017 National Archives Library, National Archives Records Administration
referencedIn White, Sue Shelton, 1887-1943. Papers, 1898-1963 (inclusive), 1909-1963 (bulk). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Records of the White House Office of Records Management (Clinton Administration), 1993 - 2001. Subject Files on Human Rights, 1993 - 2001 William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
referencedIn Huey P. Long photograph album, 1928-1935. Louisiana State University, LSU Libraries
referencedIn Deutsch, Hermann B., 1889-1970. Hermann B. Deutsch collection, ca. 1920 to 1945 1930 to 1940. University of New Orleans, Earl K. Long Library
referencedIn Gilbert, Viola D. William A. Gilbert papers : correspondence and papers, 1923-1969. University of Arkansas - Fayetteville, University Libraries
contributorOf Caraway family letters 1927-1930 Caraway family letters William L. Clements Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Blair, Diane D., 1938- person
memberOf Caraway family family
parentOf Caraway, Forrest, 1909- person
parentOf Caraway, Paul W. (Paul Wyatt), 1905- person
parentOf Caraway, Robert. person
spouseOf Caraway, Thaddeus H. (Thaddeus Horatius), 1871-1931. person
associatedWith Deutsch, Hermann B., 1889-1970. person
associatedWith Rayburn, Sam, 1882-1961 person
associatedWith Smith, Griffin, 1885-1955. person
associatedWith SUE SHELTON WHITE, 1887-1943 person
memberOf United States. Congress. Senate. corporateBody
associatedWith White, Sue Shelton, 1887-1943. person
correspondedWith Winkler, John Bunyan, b. 1875. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Riverdale Park MD US
Falls Church VA US
District of Columbia DC US
Humphreys County TN US
Hustburg TN US
Jonesboro AR US
Subject
Women legislators
Occupation
Teachers
Housewives
Senators, U.S. Congress
Activity

Person

Birth 1878-02-01

Death 1950-12-21

Female

Americans

English

Information

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