[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 30 (Wednesday, March 18, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S2212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

  Mr. HATCH. Madam President, I rise today to recognize March as 
``Women's History Month.'' It is appropriate that, at this time, we 
credit the countless women who have contributed so much to our society. 
In particular, I would like to draw attention to some of the women who 
have helped to shape the history of Utah.
  From its beginnings, Utah has relied heavily on the strength of 
women. The first groups of American settlers that crossed the continent 
to establish their homes in what is now Utah consisted of both men and 
women. Besides the simple rigors of walking hundreds of miles across 
the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains, these courageous pioneer women 
braved many trials such as extreme winter cold, lack of provisions, and 
the death of loved ones. They struggled to provide for the basic needs 
of their families. Sadly, many women had to witness the burial of their 
children and husbands along the way. Upon arriving in the valleys of 
the mountains, these pioneer women toiled along with the men to 
establish farms, schools, businesses, and towns. Their hard work, and 
dedication are reflected in the character of our State even today.
  Politically, Utah was a leader in recognizing the rights of women, 
and involving them in the process of government. Much has and will be 
said of the valiant efforts of women's suffrage activists such as Susan 
B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Carrie Chapman Catt. This group 
of national heroes includes a Utahn by the name of Emmeline Wells. As 
an advocate for women's rights, Mrs. Wells worked to achieve a 
political voice for Utah women. She won her first battle in 1870, when 
the territorial legislature legally gave Utah women the right to vote.
  Unfortunately, the U.S. Congress stripped Utah women of their voting 
rights in 1887. Undaunted, Mrs. Wells and others formed the Woman 
Suffrage Association of Utah, the purpose of which was to reclaim their 
voting rights. These women finally succeeded in 1896, when Utah was 
admitted into the Union as a State with a constitution providing female 
suffrage. Emmeline Wells remained an active member of the Woman's 
Republican League and the National Suffrage Association, and kept up 
the suffrage campaign on the national level.
  I am proud to say that Utah was ahead of its time in this respect. By 
the end of 1896, only Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado recognized 
women's right to vote. No other States granted this right for another 
14 years. Later in 1896, the people of Utah elected Martha Hughes 
Cannon to be their first female state senator. And, proving that the 
past is prologue, women continue to play significant, influential 
leadership roles in our State. In 1991, Deedee Corradini was elected 
mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah's largest city and the seat of State 
government. In 1992, Olene Walker was elected Utah's Lieutenant 
Governor, and two recent members of Utah's delegation to the U.S. 
Congress have been women.
  Women have also added much to Utah's cultural heritage. A prime 
example is Alice Merrill Horne. She was an educator and prolific artist 
at the turn of the century. As a twenty-three year old in 1891, Alice 
was appointed chairperson of the Utah Liberal Arts Committee for the 
1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. She published a book of poems 
composed by women for the exposition.
  Alice Merrill Horne became the second woman elected to the Utah House 
of Representatives in 1898. As an elected official, she continued to 
encourage cultural development. She moved a bill for the State to 
create the Nation's first art institute, which would encourage the fine 
arts, hold an annual art exhibition, and start a state-owned art 
collection. As a memorial to her, the state collection bears her name.
  Today's women continue the tradition of Mrs. Horne. In 1997, the 
Women's Center Advisory Board at Utah State University named a number 
of recipients of the Women Over 65 Achievement Awards. Among them was 
Ruth Call. Ruth became director of the Unicorn Theater in 1957. In this 
capacity she has brought beauty and happiness into the lives of 
children in Cache Valley by allowing them to participate in the 
performing arts. Since 1957, she has continued to influence children's 
lives through the theater, as a Girl Scout leader, and by her 
involvement in local art groups. Ruth Call is only one of the many 
modern unsung heroes who quietly enrich the lives of many.
  Ever since Utah's earliest periods, women have contributed in many 
ways in the professional sector. Patty Sessions was a pioneer midwife 
and horticulturist who developed her own strain of plums. Singer Emma 
Lucy Gates founded an opera company. Before her election to the state 
senate, Martha Hughes Cannon was a very successful medical doctor.
  Now more than ever, women are an integral part of the State's 
business sector. According to the National Foundation for Women 
Business Owners, between 1987 and 1996, the number of women-owned firms 
along Utah's Wasatch Front increased by 87 percent. Thus, Utah is among 
the top 10 states in the Nation for growth of women-owned firms. The 
NFWBO also said that women-owned companies represent 38 percent of all 
businesses in the area, employ 21 percent of all workers, and generate 
24 percent of all sales.
  This is an exciting time for women's athletics as well. On the heels 
of Olympic gold medals for our teams in both the Summer and Winter 
Games, women's soccer, softball, basketball, and hockey have found a 
new popularity in the United States. This is combined with gold medals 
in more traditionally popular sports like figure skating, track and 
field, and gymnastics to showcase the athletic talent that abounds 
among our women. My State is very proud to be home to the Utah Starzz, 
one of the teams in the new Women's National Basketball Association. 
I'm a big fan.
  We are also very proud of the many female college athletes in our 
universities. Several of my State's college teams have achieved great 
success. In particular, I want to draw attention to one native Utahn 
who is leaving her mark on history.
  As a junior on the Brigham Young University track and field team, 
Tiffany Lott made 1997 a banner year. Set the world record in the 55-
meter hurdles by running 7.30 seconds at the Western Athletic 
Conference indoor championships. This eclipsed the eight-year-old 
record previously held by the great Jackie Joyner Kersee. Tiffany also 
won the heptathalon at the NCAA Championships. En route to her victory, 
she scored the third-highest point total in the history of the women's 
pentathlon. These feats, among others, led Track & Field News magazine 
to name Tiffany Lott the female college athlete of the year.
  I have only touched on some of the many important achievments of 
Utah's women throughout our history. However, I cannot begin to give 
enough credit to the women who have added the most to our civilization, 
those who have influenced each one of us in some way. I wish to salute 
the countless women who have borne, nurtured, raised, instructed, and 
loved their children. I cannot think of a more important responsibility 
than that of a mother. Ironically, those who have had the greatest 
impact on us as a people are also those who receive the least public 
recognition.
  I invite my colleagues to join in celebrating Women's History Month 
by recognizing all that women have contributed to this Nation in both 
large and small ways. Much of the progress of America is owed to the 
perseverance, ingenuity, and dedication of women.




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