Chase Smith became a U.S. senator, going against a general trend at that time toward fewer women in positions of political power. During her eight years in the House of Representatives, Smith served on the Naval Affairs Committee and later on the Armed Services Committee and concerned herself particularly with the status of women in the armed forces. She played a major role in the passage of the Women�s Armed Services Act, which gave women equal pay, rank, and privileges. In 1948 she ran successfully for a seat in the Senate, winning it by a record plurality in Maine and becoming the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress. Among the many honors Smith received were several citations as woman of the year, the Newsweek magazine press poll rating as Most Valuable Senator for 1960, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1989. �When people keep telling you that you can't do a thing, you kind of like to try it.� - Margaret Chase Smith
Article by Alexander S
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