» First woman in U.S. Senate was from Georgia,

Kelly Loeffler, Gov. Brian Kemp’s choice as Georgia’s next U.S. senator, will become only the second woman to represent the state in that chamber of government.

Rebecca Ann Latimer Felton served for 24 hours in 1922 in what was essentially a political stunt. Gov. Thomas Hardwick named her after

U.S. Sen. Thomas E. Watson died in office Sept. 26, 1922. Hardwick sought the seat for himself and thought appointing 87-year-old Felton might endear him to newly enfranchised female voters. It didn’t work. Hardwick lost in a special election two weeks later to Walter F. George.

The appointment of Felton made her the first female U.S. senator and came just over two years after the 19th

Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, granting women the right to vote. At the end of her one-day term, the prolific author, whose writings included a homemaking column in The Atlanta Journal called “The Country Home,” gave a speech expressing gratitude for the opportunity. In the address, she added her certainty that the women coming after her would serve with “ability,” “integrity of purpose” and “unstinted usefulness,” according to an entry about her in the New Georgia Encyclopedia.

A graduate of Madison Female College, Felton had been a close adviser to and speechwriter for her husband, William Felton, during his career in the state Legislature and Congress. They met when he gave the commencement address the year she graduated from college as valedictorian.

While she occupies a notable chapter in the history of women’s suffrage, Felton’s views on race were virulent.

Furthermore, Felton castigated those with progressive views on race. She played a key role in the ouster of Emory professor Andrew Sledd after he penned an article demanding legal and social rights for African Americans.

A DeKalb County native, she is buried in Cartersville.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Rebecca Ann Latimer Felton served in the U.S. Senate for 24 hours in 1922.