Felton, Rebecca Latimer, 1835-1930

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Rebecca Ann Latimer Felton (June 10, 1835 – January 24, 1930) was an American writer, lecturer, reformer, and politician who became the first woman to serve in the US Senate, although she served for only one day. She was the most prominent woman in Georgia in the Progressive Era, and was honored by appointment to the Senate. She was sworn in November 21, 1922, and served just 24 hours. At 87 years, nine months, and 22 days old, she was the oldest freshman senator to enter the Senate. She was the only woman to have served as a Senator from Georgia until January 6, 2020, when Kelly Loeffler was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp to the seat vacated by the retirement of Sen. Johnny Isakson at the end of 2019. Her husband William Harrell Felton was a member of the United States House of Representatives and Georgia House of Representatives and she ran his campaigns. She was a prominent society woman; an advocate of prison reform, women's suffrage and educational modernization; a white supremacist and slave owner; and a woman who spoke vigorously in favor of lynching. Numan Bartley wrote that by 1915 she "was championing a lengthy feminist program that ranged from prohibition to equal pay for equal work."
Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection (Chester Fritz Library). Women's suffrage movement collection of papers, 1908-1918. University of North Dakota, Chester Fritz Library
creatorOf Felton, Rebecca Latimer, 1835-1930. Letter, 1927. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Records of the Office of Speechwriting (Clinton Administration), 1993 - 2001. Carolyn Curiel's Files, 1993 - 1997 William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
creatorOf Felton, Rebecca Latimer, 1835-1930. Rebecca Latimer Felton papers 1851-1930. Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library
referencedIn Records of the National Park Service, 1785 - 2006. National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records, 2013 - 2017 National Archives Library, National Archives Records Administration
referencedIn Felton family papers, 1835-1930.
referencedIn Bertha S. Adkins Papers. 1928 - 1983. Personal Files, 1928 - 1983 Dwight D. Eisenhower Library
creatorOf Felton, Rebecca Latimer, 1835-1930. Autograph letter signed Mrs. Rebecca Latimer Felton to: "The Editor of Liberty" August 12, 1925. Wellesley College
referencedIn Candler, Warren A. (Warren Akin), 1857-1941. Warren A. Candler papers, 1846-1977. Emory University. Special Collections and Archives
referencedIn Records of the First Lady's Office (Clinton Administration), 1993 - 2001. Laura Schiller's Files, 1993 - 2001 William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
referencedIn Kurtz, Wilbur G. (Wilbur George), 1882-1967. Wilbur G. Kurtz, Sr. visual arts collection, 1859-1972, undated. Atlanta History Center, Kenan Research Center / Cherokee Garden Library
referencedIn Talmadge, John E. Talmadge, John E. Rebecca Latimer Felton: nine stormy decades and Corra Harris: lady of purpose, [19--?].
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Atkinson, W. Y. (William Yates), 1854-1899. person
associatedWith Brown, Joseph E. (Joseph Emerson), 1821-1894. person
associatedWith Candler, Warren A. (Warren Akin), 1857-1941. person
associatedWith Colquitt, Alfred Holt, 1829-1894. person
associatedWith Cotton States Exposition (1895 : Atlanta, Ga.) corporateBody
parentOf Felton, Howard Erwin, b. 1869. person
spouseOf Felton, William H. (William Harrell), 1823-1909. person
associatedWith Fullerton, Hugh S. (Hugh Stuart), 1873-1945. person
associatedWith George, Walter F. (Walter Franklin), 1878-1959 person
alumnusOrAlumnaOf Georgia Female College (Madison, Ga.) corporateBody
associatedWith Gordon, John Brown, 1832-1904. person
associatedWith Hardwick, Thomas W. (Thomas William), 1872-1944 person
associatedWith Hayes, Rutherford Birchard, 1822-1893. person
associatedWith Hidell, William H. person
associatedWith Kurtz, Wilbur G. (Wilbur George), 1882-1967. person
childOf Latimer, Charles. person
childOf Latimer, Eleanor Swift. person
associatedWith Longstreet, James, 1821-1904. person
associatedWith McLaws, Lafayette, 1821-1897. person
associatedWith National Progressive Convention 1912 : Chicago, Ill.) corporateBody
associatedWith Olmstead, Florence Williams, 1838-1909. person
associatedWith Palmer, Bertha Honoré, 1849-1918. person
associatedWith Rutherford, Mildred Lewis, 1852-1928 person
associatedWith Stephens, Alexander Hamilton, 1812-1883. person
associatedWith Talmadge, John E. person
memberOf United States. Congress. Senate. corporateBody
associatedWith Watson, Thomas E. (Thomas Edward), 1856-1922 person
memberOf Woman's christian temperance union corporateBody
associatedWith World's Columbian Exposition (1893 : Chicago, Ill.) corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Decatur GA US
Bartow County GA US
Cartersville GA US
Atlanta GA US
Madison GA US
Subject
Convict labor
Temperance
Women
Women in the Methodist Church
Women journalists
Women legislators
Women social reformers
Women's rights
Occupation
Teachers
Lecturers
Politicians
Reformers
Secretaries (clerical workers)
Senators, U.S. Congress
Slaveholders
Suffragists
Writer
Activity

Person

Birth 1835-06-10

Death 1930-01-24

Female

Americans

English

Information

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