Women in the United States Senate Women in the United States Senate There have been 52 total women in the United States Senate since its establishment in 1789. The first woman who served as a U.S. Senator, Rebecca Latimer Felton, represented Georgia for a single day in 1922. The first woman elected to the Senate was Hattie Caraway from Arkansas in 1932. Fifteen of the women who have served were appointed; seven of those were appointed to succeed their deceased husbands. As of April 9, 2018 when Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi was sworn in, the 115th United States Congress has 23 female Senators out of 100
History of women in the United States O'Connor was confirmed unanimously by the Senate and became the first female Supreme Court Justice. In 1983, Sally Ride became the first female American astronaut. In 1984, Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman nominated for Vice President by a major party (the Democratic Party), although she was not elected. Also, in 1984 Kathryn D. Sullivan became the first American woman to walk in space. In 1987, Wilma Mankiller became the first woman to be elected chief of a major Native American tribe (Cherokee). In 1991, she was re-elected with 83% of the vote; during her tenure the Cherokee nation's membership