Hannah Martin legislative correspondence , 1933-1935

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Hanzen, Hannah Martin, 1894-1989
Title
Hannah Martin legislative correspondence
Dates
1933-1935 (inclusive)
Quantity
0.5 linear feet, (1 container)
Collection Number
Ax 671
Summary
Hannah Martin (1894 - ) was an attorney and the first woman elected (in 1933 and in 1935) to the Oregon House of Representatives. The collection (1933-1935) contains legislative correspondence from constituents and other concerned parties, and replies from Martin.
Repository
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.

Additional Reference Guides

See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for production of this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Hannah Martin (1894 - ) was an attorney who was educated at Willamette University School of Law. In 1933 and in 1935 she was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives as a Republican and was the first woman in Oregon to be elected to that legislative body.

"Born Hannah Dautoff in Portland, Oregon, Dautoff and her siblings were raised by her widowed mother after Dautoff's father died in Skagway during the Alaska Gold Rush."

"Having only an eighth grade education, Dautoff was admitted to the Willamette University School of Law in Salem. Four years later she graduated and passed the state bar examination. Dautoff practiced law with her husband, Ivan Martin, an attorney and former legislator, specializing in domestic relations."

"In 1932, she was the first woman elected to the Oregon Legislature where she served four terms. She recalled later that she "was never looking for a fight, but...wasn't there to be stepped on, either...The year and issues change, but people don't change very much."

"In 1942 she cracked another all-male stronghold when she was elected Salem Municipal Judge, serving one term. Dautoff's marriage to Harry Hanzen led her to withdraw from her legal career, much to the disappointment of the police department whose members were ready to campaign for her second term."

"After retirement, Mrs. Hanzen served as president of the Salem Women's Club, corresponding secretary of the Oregon Federation of Women's Clubs, and Executive Secretary of the Marion County Bar Association. She also was an instructor at Willamette University."

"Mrs. Hanzen died in Portland, Oregon on June 20, 1989 at the age of 94. She was survived by her nephew, Boyd Davidson of that city, and Elspeth Alexander of Seattle."

[Source: written by Virginia Green, for the website - Salem Online History (salemhistory.net) provided by the Salem Public Library.

Bibliography: Duniway, David. " Hannah Hanzen" Panegyric, Salem, OR: Mission Mill Museum, Volume IV, April 11, 1975. (Note: Document courtesy of Marion County Historical Society, Salem, OR.)

Obituary. "Hannah Hanzen" Salem Statesman Journal, June 24, 1989, Page 2b.]

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The correspondence is organized by session, and incoming and outgoing letters are mixed together. Sessions consist of the first and second sessions of 1933, and a 1933 special session, and the session of 1935.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Lawyers--Oregon--Correspondence
  • Legislators--Oregon--Correspondence
  • Politicians--Oregon--Correspondence
  • Women lawyers--Oregon--Correspondence
  • Women legislators--Oregon--Correspondence
  • Women politicians--Oregon--Correspondence
  • Women--Political activity--Oregon

Personal Names

  • Hanzen, Hannah Martin, 1894-1989

Corporate Names

  • Oregon. Legislative Assembly. House of Representatives

Geographical Names

  • Oregon--Politics and government--1859-1950

Form or Genre Terms

  • Correspondence