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Show 'Women in politics' to be discussed prepared and will be available that evening. Interesting facts about Utah's early women politicians include: Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon was Utah's first woman state senator and the first woman state senator in the United States. Dr. Cannon was elected to the State Senate in the state's first election in 1896. After becoming a senator, among the bills that became law under Dr. Cannon's sponsorship were measures providing for the compulsory com-pulsory education of deaf, dumb and blind children, a state board of health, and the protection of the health of women employees. During the 1992 Session, the Legislature passed a resolution urging urg-ing the United States Postal Service to consider a commemorative stamp in honor of Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon (SCR No. 15). Utah was the third state to join the Union with equal suffrage in 1896. The first documented women voters in modem times were in Salt Lake City on Feb. 14, 1870. Although much national media attention was given to the election of Salt Lake Mayor Deedee Cor-radini, Cor-radini, Mary W. Chamberlain was elected mayor of Kanab, Utah, with an all-female board in 1912. Gov. Clyde established Utah's Committee for Women in January of 1964. Under Gov. Rampton, the committee was established by law becoming a Commission in 1973. The Governor's Commission for Women and Families is bi-partisan and consists of 19 members. President John F. Kennedy established es-tablished the first national women's committee in 1962 with Eleanor Roosevelt as the chair. 1 4 The Governor's Commission for Women and Families is sponsoring a panel discussion on "Women's Role in Early Utah Politics." This celebration of Women's History Month will be Tuesday, March 31 at 7 p.m. at the State Office Building Auditorium. It is free and open to the public. The panel will discuss the political, politi-cal, economic, social and religious environments that led to Utah women obtaining the vote, the first woman in the United States elected to a State Senate, and two of the first women elected to a State j House of Representatives. Panel members have impressive credentials and are well-versed in the unique atmosphere of late 1800s politics in Utah. Carol Cornwall Madsen, Ph.D., a research historian at Brigham Young University, has written articles on early Utah divorce laws and influential women pioneers. She is also the co-author of the "History of Primary." Jean White, Ph.D., has recently retired from Weber State University, Univer-sity, where she was a professor of political science. She has published numerous articles on Utah politics of the late nineteen century with an emphasis of the role of women. Kathryn McKay, Ph.D., is currently a faculty member of. the Political Science Department at Weber State University. In addition to the panel discussion, discus-sion, a brief history highlighting an outstanding woman in each of Utah's 29 counties is being |