Who was the first woman elected to the United States Senate without having been previously appointed? South Dakota's Gladys Pyle, that's who. A native of Huron from a prominent family in early South Dakota civic and political life, Gladys became the first woman elected to the South Dakota Legislature in 1922. She was the first woman elected to be Secretary of State in South Dakota, and also was within a whisker of being the first woman to be elected Governor in 1930. An extraordinary, but humble woman, Pyle's life of civic leadership is impressive. To listen to Gladys directly, click this State Archives' oral history link: Interview with Gladys Pyle - Audio Collection - South Dakota Digital Archives
Season 5 Ep 5: Gladys Pyle was First
