Margaret Chase Smith Becomes First Woman Elected to Both Chambers of Congress

Did you know, that on this day in 1948, Margaret Chase Smith won her election for the Maine Senate seat and became the first woman elected to both chambers of Congress? Margaret had served successfully as a Representative for four terms. Though she had less funding and less name recognition, her opponents’ decision to question the capacity of women to hold public office proved disastrous in a state where two-thirds of registered voters were women. Margaret Chase Smith served the Senate for twenty-four years.