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Republican Party in an area of New York State that was slow to accept women in politics. From 1920 until 1935, Graves was Vice
President of the St. Lawrence County Republican Committee, the first woman to hold the position. According to former New York assemblyman Grant Daniels, "because of her conquest of the initial resistance to women in politics, the cause of women's rights had been greatly advanced."
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Graves began her political career by working with suffrage organizations in St. Lawrence County, distinguishing herself as an activist and gaining respect in the community. She remained politically active after women gained the right to vote and established herself as a successful voice for the
231:. On the first day of the 1925 session of the New York State Assembly, she started her career as a legislator by introducing a bill that would allow youths who lived in rural areas and were less than 18 years of age to operate motor vehicles.
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would be a candidate to succeed her for her seat. Paul Graves had a sizable win and took office in 1949. In 1953, he was appointed to the New York State
Supreme Court, where he served until his death at age 64 in 1972.
166:. Her mother died from medical complications from childbirth, and her father placed her with his friends, LaFayette and Rhoda Ann (Shippee) Fox. The Foxes formally adopted her at age two.
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Graves was founding member and vice chairman of a
Republican State Committee council of women formed in 1929 to educate women voters about the upcoming election.
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Graves was a trailblazer with her accomplishments as a female legislator in New York in the 1920s. She was the first woman to serve in the
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After her election to the State Senate, Graves founded the
Organized Women Legislators of New York State and was its first president.
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During her time as a New York legislator, she advocated for increased rights for females, including the right to serve on a jury.
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On April 26, 1905, Fox married Perle Atwell Graves, the son of Daniel and Helen Graves. They had two sons, Mark and Paul.
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After Graves's re-election in
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in 1932, but was elected in 1934. She was a member of the State Senate from 1935 to 1948, sitting in the
486:"Republicans Form Council Of Women; State Committee Starts Educational Campaign for NextYear's Election"
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538:"New Pioneering For Mrs. Graves; State's Only Woman Senator Now Becomes Head of a Leading Committee"
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Prior to her marriage, Graves was a school teacher in rural public schools in the
Gouverneur area.
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Rhoda Fox Graves died on
January 25, 1950, while at her winter home with her husband in
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Rhoda Fox Graves was born on July 2, 1877, to
Leander and Rhoda Martha (Burt) Austin in
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351:. St. Lawrence County, NY Branch of the American Association of University Women. 1989
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409:"Ex-Senator Graves Succumbs in Florida, Stormy Figure in GOP, She Defied Bosses"
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In 1948, Graves announced that she would not seek re-election and that her son
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Rhoda Fox grew up on the Fox family farm in Fowler, a small town southeast of
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Women's
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She was unsuccessful in her first attempt to attain a seat in the
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312:. She was buried at the Riverside Cemetery in Gouverneur.
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Republican Party members of the New York State
Assembly
492:. New York, New York. September 20, 1929. p. 5
725:Republican Party New York (state) state senators
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440:. New York, New York. January 8, 1925. p. 1
434:"Only Woman Legislator Seeks to Amend Auto Law"
150:. Graves was the first woman to serve in the
138:, women's rights activist, and early female
745:Women state legislators in New York (state)
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730:People from St. Lawrence County, New York
536:McLaughlin, Kathleen (January 1, 1939).
384:. Canton, NY: SUNY Canton. February 2005
134:(July 2, 1877 – January 25, 1950) was a
570:. Gouverneur, NY: The Gouverneur Museum
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466:. New York, New York. March 2, 1927
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609:St. Lawrence County, 1st District
460:"Women Back Bill For Jury Service"
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715:Suffragists from New York (state)
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272:166th New York State Legislatures
750:People from Gouverneur, New York
544:. New York, New York. p. 33
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16:American politician (1877–1950)
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112:Perle Atwell Graves
599:William A. Laidlaw
542:The New York Times
512:"Rhoda Fox Graves"
490:The New York Times
464:The New York Times
438:The New York Times
378:"Rhoda Fox Graves"
345:"Rhoda Fox Graves"
306:Hollywood, Florida
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548:21 February
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496:21 February
470:21 February
444:21 February
418:20 February
414:. p. 6
388:20 February
355:20 February
81:Nationality
709:Categories
677:1945–1948
648:1935–1944
612:1925–1932
568:Photo Tour
316:References
136:suffragist
102:Politician
99:Occupation
48:1877-07-02
42:Rhoda Fox
85:American
308:, of a
146:in the
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107:Spouse
412:(PDF)
268:165th
264:164th
260:163rd
256:162nd
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270:and
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201:1925
63:Died
38:Born
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
