The trailblazing woman from Utah, Martha Hughes Cannon was a suffragist, doctor, senator, orator, wife and mother
Current and former elected officials and religious, business and community leaders filled Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol Visitor’s Center on Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the installation of a statue of Martha Hughes Cannon to represent the state of Utah.
Wearing the suffrage colors of gold, white and violet, many were moved to tears as a place in history was secured for Martha — a frontier physician, public health reformer, suffragist, state senator, orator, wife and mother. Her legacy will now be shared with the more than 3 million visitors that file through the Capitol Visitor’s Center each year.
In 2018, the Utah Legislature voted to replace a statue of television pioneer Philo T. Farnsworth with that of Martha Hughes Cannon, created by Utah artist Ben Hammond. The Capitol also features a statue of Brigham Young.
Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said because of Martha’s place in Statuary Hall — where she stands among the 100 statues representing two prominent individuals from each state and is one of just 14 statues of women — boys and girls, men and woman from around the world “will learn about the tiny woman from Utah (Martha was 4 feet, 11 inches tall) who had a giant impact on the lives of so many.”
Born in Wales on July 1, 1857, Martha’s family immigrated in 1861 to the Utah Territory as converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Utah House Minority Leader Angela Romero said that the placement of the statue of Martha, a Democrat who became the nation’s first female state senator, celebrates her accomplishments and life that not only broke a glass ceiling, but also paved the way for others. Martha Hughes Cannon symbolizes hope — “hope for a better future, hope for a better tomorrow,” she said.
During the installation ceremony Wednesday, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson introduced Martha to the audience.
Following a flag ceremony, President Camille Johnson, Relief Society general president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gave the opening prayer. She later told the Deseret News how inspirational she found Martha — a pioneer in multiple aspects, committed to her faith, accomplished in her professional life and a dedicated wife and mother.
“Martha Hughes Cannon had the desire to be a wife and mother, and it was in faith she fulfilled those roles. But those were not the only roles that she filled,” she said. “She had a desire and a passion to share her knowledge and expertise as a medical doctor…. Because of that expertise in medicine, (she was) particularly adept as a state senator.”
The things she was doing in her time “probably seemed impossible, or nearly impossible, to achieve,” said President Johnson. “I hope that as people come to Emancipation Hall, they will feel inspired by Martha Hughes Cannon’s example of service, of loving and lifting those around them, and that they’ll set their sights high.”
Also attending from the Church of Jesus Christ were Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Matthew S. Holland, a General Authority Seventy.
Minority Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts also addressed the crowd of hundreds, praising Martha for inspiring others to “imagine the inconceivable, and then [make] it true.” She quipped that Martha had been scheduled to arrive in 2020, but “like so many of us, her travel plans were delayed.” She also praised Martha (often called Mattie) for her efforts in the fight for suffrage for all women in the United States. Mattie knew, she said, “that every break with precedent, every step toward equality, wasn’t just in service to her daughters. It was in service to all Americans.”
Arline Arnold Brady said she learned about Martha Hughes Cannon, her great-grandmother, from an early age. “We all recognize how extraordinary she was,” she said, noting Mattie used the knowledge she gained to make real change.
Henderson has previously called the bill to get Martha to D.C. the most difficult fight during her time as a Utah Senator — and she wasn’t even the sponsor. Now that the statue has taken her spot in the Capitol, Henderson acknowledged that, like Martha, many others have found themselves standing alone, have felt the sting of injustice, “have fought for change that either never came or that we did not get credit for.”
Her call to action was this: Do a little bit of good in the world, keep both eyes open and be intentional about remembering the past while looking to the future. “Today,” she said, “is not the culmination of our efforts, but a continuation of them.”
Henderson’s thoughts echoed the thoughts of several of the women key to the founding of this effort, including Katherine Kitterman and Naomi Watkins of Better Days 2020, a organization focused on elevating the stories of Utah women. They both told the Deseret News that to them, the placement of the statue of Martha was not the end of her journey, but another step along the way of elevating the many stories of Utah’s women.
Congresswoman Celeste Maloy thanked her Utah colleagues for the opportunity to speak (the honor typically goes to the longest-serving legislator), and noted they were “no less excited” than she was. Maloy spoke of the need to remember Mattie as a whole person, and to not cherry pick parts of her story. She was a doctor, who was a polygamous wife who left with her infant daughter to escape religious persecution. There were many facets to Martha, and Maloy said she hoped that as Martha stands there, that “we let her be her” and respect all the parts of her, because there are aspects to Martha’s that will speak to everyone.
Former Rep. Adam Gardiner, the original House sponsor of the bill to send Martha to Washington, remembers learning the story of Dr. Martha “Mattie” Hughes Cannon when he interned in former Congressman Rob Bishop’s office. Congressman Bishop would lead tours past the Philo T. Farnsworth statue, and would quip that he personally would have preferred either a statue of John M. Browning or Martha Hughes Cannon. As Gardiner learned those stories, and then shared them as he led tours, he developed a deep respect for the nation’s first female state senator, and when elected to the Utah House, opened a bill file to make that happen.
When Gardiner won a race as the Salt Lake County recorder, state Sen. Todd Weiler publicly told him on a radio show that he wanted to be the Senate sponsor. Then-Rep. Becky Edwards simultaneously told him she wanted to be the House sponsor of the bill. Both became ardent supporters and champions of Martha and her trailblazing.
Edwards remembers how she thought the “Martha bill” should have been a simple bill, easy to pass. But it was not. The bill was held in House rules for weeks. Edwards and others pushed for grassroots efforts to “Free Martha!,” including Girl Scout troop members and young activists like Natalie Gunn. Finally, on Feb. 14, 2018, Martha was freed from rules. Serendipitously, it was the anniversary of Seraph Young casting the first vote in the nation under a state suffrage law. After much debate, the bill passed, with three House members voting no and five absent or not voting.
For Maya Mercer, the journey of Martha to Statuary Hall is inspiring and motivating — and has taken almost half her life. Mercer, now 16, was one of those 9-year-old Girl Scouts when the “Martha bill” made its way through the Utah legislature. She was in the House gallery when the bill passed in 2018 and she was in Emancipation Hall when Martha’s statue was installed on Wednesday. Martha’s story has inspired Mercer to want to study history or political science. She will do an internship at the Utah legislature next year, as a senior in high school. “I have grown up with Martha,” she said, and “I have learned that my voice matters.”
Originally published in the Deseret News
