In 1932 Willa Eslick became the first woman to represent Tennessee. After her husband, Representative Edward Eslick, died of a heart attack while giving a speech on the House Floor, Willa Eslick won a special election to fill the remainder of his term. During her service, she worked to prevent the foreclosures of her constituents’ farms. She also supported antisubversive legislation, which penalized communists, radical immigrants, and union organizers.
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