1. Early life

2. Start of career

3. U.S. Senator

4. Later career

5. Death and burial

6. Legacy

7. See also

8. References

9. External links

Gladys Shields Pyle^[1] (October 4, 1890{{spaced ndash}}March 14, 1989) was an American politician and the first woman elected to the United States Senate without having previously been appointed to her position; she was also the first female senator to serve as a Republican^[2] and the first female senator from South Dakota. She was also the first unmarried female senator.

Early life

Gladys Shields Pyle was born in Huron, South Dakota on October 4, 1890, the daughter of John L. Pyle and Mamie Shields Pyle, and was the youngest of their four children,^[3] three girls and one boy.^[3] Her father was a lawyer who served as Attorney General of South Dakota and her mother was a leading suffragist in the state.^[3][4] The family lived in a home John built,^[5] even after his death of typhoid fever in 1902.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} After John's death, his family had to work hard to keep the house, and little money was available for new furnishings or interior decorations.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} John and Mamie were instrumental in the establishment of Huron College, which Gladys attended.^[8] While a student, Gladys competed in debates alongside her sisters.^[6][7] She graduated in 1911.^[8][9]

Start of career

Pyle taught in public high schools from 1912 to 1920,^[10] including high schools in Miller, Wessington, and Huron. Gladys, her mother Mamie, and two sisters were very involved in the Women's Suffrage movement and frequently hosted meetings of the local chapter in their house.

In 1923 she became first woman member of the State House of Representatives,^[11] serving from 1923–1927. Pyle then served as Secretary of State of South Dakota from 1927–1931 and ran unsuccessfully for the Republican Party (GOP) nomination for governor in 1930, garnering nearly a third of the vote in the primary but losing after the decision was sent to the Republican convention because no candidate received 35% of the vote as required under South Dakotan law.^[10] She was a member of the State securities commission from 1931–1933.^[10] She engaged in the life insurance business in private life.

U.S. Senator

On November 8, 1938 she was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Peter Norbeck. Norbeck died in December 1936, which allowed the governor of South Dakota to appoint a replacement, and he appointed Democrat Herbert E. Hitchcock. Hitchcock lost the primary for the Democratic nomination for a full term, and the general election was won by Republican Chan Gurney. Because he lost the Democratic nomination, a quirk in South Dakota law required Hitchcock to step down from the Senate following the November 1938 election, which would have created a vacancy before Gurney was sworn in in January 1939. To fill the two month vacancy, South Dakota pushed for a special election because of rumors that President Franklin D. Roosevelt would call a special session of Congress to be held before January. State law also prevented Gurney from appearing on the ballot twice, so he was unable to run in the special election. As a result, the Republican Party selected Pyle, in part to express their appreciation for her service to the party, and in part because she had enough name recognition that they would not have to devote many resources to the special election campaign. She campaigned against the New Deal, arguing the program had not gone far enough to help the people of South Dakota.^[8] On the same day that Gurney won election to a full term, Pyle easily defeated Democrat J. T. McCullen Sr. for the short one. Pyle one of two Senators elected to a short term, with Oregon electing Alexander G. Barry at the same time.^[12] Pyle and Berry were both paid for their senate service and allowed to hire staff, even though Congress was not in session.^[12]

After the election, Pyle traveled to Washington, D.C. at her own expense, accompanied by her mother and one aide.^[8] No special session was called, so Pyle did not have the opportunity to perform any Senate duties before her term ended. She shared a Senate office with Thomas M. Storke, an appointed interim senator from California, and spent her time in Washington lobbying federal agencies including the Works Progress Administration and Bureau of Indian Affairs for approval of projects in South Dakota.

Later career

In January 1939, Pyle returned to her insurance business, and remained closely involved in public service work.^[8] In 1940, she became the first woman to deliver a presidential nominating speech at a national convention, speaking on behalf of candidate Harland J. Bushfield.^[1]

In addition to resuming her career in the life insurance business, Pyle also engaged in farm management. She later became a member of the South Dakota Board of Charities and Corrections 1943–1957^[1] and agent for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance 1950–1986.

Death and burial

On March 20, 1988, following the death of Samuel W. Reynolds, Pyle became the oldest living U.S. senator.{{Citation needed|date=January 2019}} She died in Huron on March 14, 1989, aged 98.^[1] Her ashes are interred in Riverside Cemetery with her relatives.

Legacy

The family home that she lived in from 1894 until 1985 is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been converted into a museum. Pyle recorded her own recollections of the home before her death, in preparation for the property becoming a museum.^[3] It is largely unchanged from when it was built and has many of the original furnishings. The carpeting, wallpaper, windows (including three stained-glass sections), doors, interior layout, radiators, door hardware, and wood finish are original or nearly so. In fact, although a more modern gas-powered furnace has replaced the original coal-fired one, the original ornate radiators still heat the house. A ballot that she appeared on is framed next to the downstairs bathroom.

See also

• Women in the United States Senate
• List of United States Senators from South Dakota

References

External links

• {{Find a Grave|7326890}}

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