Six years later: Statue of ‘trailblazing pioneer’ moves from Utah to D.C.

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A statue of Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon will soon leave the Utah State Capitol and head to its new home in Washington, D.C., after a several-year-long wait.

Cannon is known as a skilled physician, ardent suffragist and progressive public health reformer. In 1896, she was elected as the first female state senator in the U.S. and the state of Utah, defeating her own husband who was also on the ballot.

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COVID-19 restrictions stalled the statue’s move to Washington, D.C., but the statue will soon make its way to the National Statuary Hall. The National Statuary Hall features up to two statues from each state of people who made a historical impact.

“After six long years, I am thrilled to finally see this trailblazing pioneer of women’s equality assume her rightful place in the halls of our nation’s capitol building,” Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson said.

A resolution was passed in 2018 for the statue of Cannon to replace that of Philo Farnsworth, known as the father of television. Cannon will now stand next to the statue of Brigham Young, an American religious leader who led members of his faith to settle in Utah. As Cannon goes to D.C., Farnsworth’s statue will move to Utah Valley University.

“During my time in the State Senate, no legislation brought as much excitement and public engagement as the resolution to send a statue of Martha Hughes Cannon to Washington,” Lt. Gov. Henderson said.

To celebrate this moment, there will be a send-off event at the Utah State Capitol on Wednesday, June 5, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., featuring live music, food trucks, and activities for families and children.

“The impact Utah women had on the national women’s suffrage movement has for too long been overlooked,” Lt. Gov. Henderson said. “Martha’s statue is more than a reminder of her individual accomplishments. She symbolizes the contributions of all the Utah women whose persistent and righteous efforts not only secured their own equal rights, but also ensured ours.”

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