Selma native Hattie Hooker Wilkins was the first woman elected to the Alabama State Legislature. She joined the 1923 Alabama House of Representatives as a Democrat, expressing the belief that in a nation of men and women, government should represent both genders. She was a leading Alabama suffragist and, during her time in office, worked toward education and healthcare reform. Wilkins was inducted into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame in 1997.
Photos courtesy of: Alabama Department of Archives and History, Library of Congress