Martha Hughes Cannon

Martha Maria Hughes Cannon was born on the 1st of July, 1857, at Madoc Street, Llandudno, Wales, the second of three daughters of Peter Hughes, a carpenter, and his wife Elizabeth. The family, converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, emigrated to the United States in March 1860, settling in Utah's Salt Lake Valley later that year; her father died shortly after their arrival.

Cannon trained in medicine and chemistry, earning a degree from the University of Deseret before studying at the University of Michigan, and became a pioneering physician specialising in women's and children's health. On the 3rd of November, 1896, she became the first woman elected to any U.S. state legislature, winning a seat in the Utah Senate — defeating her own husband, who also stood as a candidate. As a senator she introduced legislation to establish a public health authority, helping to improve Utah's water supply and control infectious disease. Martha died on the 10th of July, 1932, and her legacy is honoured today with a statue at the Utah State Capitol.