Smith, Margaret Chase, 1897-1995
Variant namesMargaret Chase Smith was born in Skowhegan, Maine, on December 14, 1897. Her entry into politics came through the career of Clyde Smith, the man she married in 1930. Clyde was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1936. Margaret served as his secretary. When Clyde died in 1940, she succeeded her husband. After four terms in the House, she won election to the United States Senate in 1948. In so doing, she became the first woman elected to both houses of Congress.
Senator Smith came to national attention on June 1, 1950, when she became the first member of the Senate to denounce the tactics used by colleague Joseph McCarthy in his anti-communist crusade. Following her "Declaration of Conscience" speech, some pundits speculated that she might be the vice-presidential candidate on the 1952 Republican ticket. The opportunity, however, never materialized. In 1964, Senator Smith pursued her own political ambitions, running in several Republican presidential primaries. She took her candidacy all the way to the Republican National Convention in San Francisco, where she became the first woman to have her name placed in nomination for the presidency by either of the two major parties. In the final balloting, Smith refused to withdraw and so came in second to the Republican nominee, Senator Barry Goldwater.
After four terms in both the House and Senate, and over thirty-two years in Congress all together, Senator Smith lost re-election in 1972. She retired to her home in Skowhegan and began planning for the establishment of a library. The Margaret Chase Smith Library opened in 1982 and for the next dozen years, she presided over the facility, meeting with admirers, former constituents, politicians, policymakers, researchers, and school children. Margaret Chase Smith died at her home on Memorial Day, May 29, 1995.
Role | Title | Holding Repository | |
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referencedIn | Academy of Political Science letters, 1923-1970 | Columbia University in the City of New York, Columbia University Libraries | |
referencedIn | Academy of Political Science letters, 1923-1970. | Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library | |
referencedIn | Alexander, Dolores, 1931-2008. NOW officer papers, 1960-1973 | Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America | |
referencedIn | Alexander, Dolores. Papers, 1960-1973 (inclusive). | Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America | |
creatorOf | Allen, Florence Ellinwood, 1884-1966. Papers, 1856-1967, bulk 1901-1967. | Western Reserve Historical Society, Research Library | |
creatorOf | Anne Henrietta Martin papers, 1892-1951. | UC Berkeley Libraries | |
referencedIn | Arthur E. Scott photograph collection | George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections & Archives | |
referencedIn | Ayers, Ross. Papers, 1968-1973. | Texas Tech University Libraries, Academic Library | |
referencedIn | Batten, Pluma Burroughs Penton, 1894-. Papers, 1948-1964 (inclusive), 1950-1956 (bulk). | Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America | |
referencedIn | Bingham, Millicent Todd, 1880-1968. Millicent Todd Bingham papers, 1865-1968 (inclusive). | Yale University Library |
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referencedIn | National Capital Sesquicentennial Commission. 7/18/1947-12/31/1952 Organization Authority Record | National Archives Library, National Archives Records Administration | |
referencedIn | Recordings and Transcripts of Telephone Conversations and Meetings, 11/22/1963 - 1/3/1969. John F. Kennedy Assassination Related Recordings and Transcripts, 11/22/1963 - 3/28/1967 | Lyndon Baines Johnson Library | |
referencedIn | Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations, 1900 - 2003. Official Military Personnel Files, 1947 - 1998. Official Military Personnel File for Margaret C. Smith. | National Archives at St. Louis |
Filters:
Relation | Name |
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associatedWith | Academy of Political Science (U.S.) |
associatedWith | Adelaide Fish Hawley Cumming |
associatedWith | Alexander, Dolores. |
associatedWith | Allen, Florence Ellinwood, 1884-1966. |
associatedWith | Arthur E. Scott, 1917-1976 |
associatedWith | Ayers, Ross. |
associatedWith | Batten, Pluma Burroughs Penton, 1894- |
associatedWith | Bingham, Millicent Todd, 1880-1968. |
correspondedWith | Brewster, Daniel B. (Daniel Baugh), 1923-2007. |
associatedWith | Byrd, Harry Flood, 1887-1966. |
Person
Birth 1897-12-14
Death 1995-05-29
Female
Americans
English
Variant Names
Shared Related Resources
Smith, Margaret Chase, 1897-1995
Smith, Margaret Chase, 1897-1995 | Title |
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