For all but two years, Marguerite Stitt Church of Evanston was the only female Member of Congress from Illinois from 1951 to 1963. In the last 83 years, only 12 women have represented Illinois in the U.S. House. Three of them are now serving. Eight of the twelve were Republicans and four were Democrats.
In order of election, the women members started with Winifred Sprague Mason Huck (R-Waukegan) in a 1923 special election who served only a few months to fill the vacancy of her father's term. Second was Ruth Hanna McCormick (R-Rockford) elected for one term in 1928 who won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senator in 1930 but lost in the fall. Third was Jesse Sumner (R-Iroquois County) who served from 1939 to 1947. Fourth was Emily Taft Douglas (D-Chicago) who served one term from 1945 to 1947. She was the wife of Marine Corps Lt. Col. Paul H. Douglas who was elected U.S. Senator in 1948 as a Democrat and was defeated 18 years later by Republican Sen. Charles H. Percy in 1966. Fifth was Congresswoman Margueritte Stitt Church (R-Evanston) who succeeded her husband and for whom more details are provided below.
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