Evening star., 1940-11-10

Republican, first woman to serve IN
Congress, has staged a COMEBACK
after % years. At the time OF her
first election the country was
plunging into the first World War
and Miss Rankin voted against
Americas entrance notwithstand-
ing the pressure of public opinion.
Now she has said she is for pre-
paredness, but still opposes sending
American boys abroad.
Mary Norton to Round Out
II Years in the House.
Handsome Mary Theresa Norton
of New Jersey, first woman Demo-
crat to be elected to Congress, Will,
during the coming session, round out
her 17th year as member from
New Jersey.
The first woman to head power
ful committee, Representative Nor
ton. as chairman of the Labor Com
mittee. has battied for the interests
of the laboring man, for women and
children in ndustry-taklng chll-
dren out of mines, beet fields ana
factories and giving them sunlight
and some of the joys of youth.
There is one thing about the
women in Congress-they never
seem to lose their feminine charm
or their domestic efficiency. Take
Mrs. Norton, for inStance-she
tops when it comes to home man
agement.
Aristocratic and artistic Mrs. Car
oline ODay, New York's first Repre-
sentative at-large, widow of Daniel
ODay, Standard Oil official, mas
been coming to Congress since 1884,
when Mrs. Franklin Delano Roose-
welt. her old friend and co-worker IN
welfare, took the stump for her.
Mrs. Caroline ODay
Is Strong Peace Advocate.
Representative ODay has bit OF
a British pronunciation-She went 10
school abroad-and she frequently
and gracefully wieldS an old-fash-
ioned fan during the sessions in the
Chamber. She was honored by being
chosen to head the House Com
mittee on Election OF PRESIDENT
Roosevelt in 1886. A strong advocate
of peace with preparedness, she was
one of the women to make the H.
nOO-mile fight to South America 10
deliver to the Inter American Con-
ference for the Maintenance OF
Peace a Million signature peace
petition.
Judge Jessie Sumner, Just re-
elected. to represent a quarter-mil-
lion IlInoisans in the House, is the
snly Oxfordian in Congress. Shs
studied law at the English Univer-
yity after graduating in law from
the University of Chicago and Co
hlmbia University, New York. A
county Judge, her judicial tempera-
nent gets bit mixed up sometimes
with her hasty Anglo-Scot-1rlsh
blood. she says. She believes in
peace with preparedness.
Mrs. Margaret c. Smith
Succeeded Late Husband.
Representative Margaret c. Smith
was left as a legacy to Congress by
her husband, the late Representative
Clyde H. Smith of Maine. Well
known in the active politics of her
State. Mrs. Smith was her husbands s
secretary during his service in the
House. 1t was a death-bed request
that his constituency return her in
his place.
The first woman to be elected to
Congress from Ohio, Mrs. Frances
Bolton, succeeds her husband. She
Is a strong advocate Of peace with
weapons of preparedness so power
full that no nation will dare to at
tack. She believes that women are
interested in peace, but not in a
passive way. One of the richest
women in America. she is interested
in music, young artists and among
her pet philanthropies is the nursing
school which she endowed at the
Western Reserve University, Ohio.
Mrs. Clara G. Mcmillan, who sue.
eeeded her late husband, Repre-
sentative Thomas Mcmillan, is no
stranger to the House as she served
as his private secretary for Is years.
Senator CaraWay, the first woman
90 be elected to the Senate, has
blazed the trail for her sisters in
politics by her efficient service and
tolerant attitude in all legislation.