Anne Henrietta Martin (September 30, 1875 – April 15, 1951) was a pioneering American suffragist, historian, and political activist whose fearless pursuit of gender equality reshaped the role of women in U.S. politics. Born in Nevada, Martin was the first woman to run for the United States Senate—twice—making history as a voice for women’s rights on the national stage.
A scholar at heart, Martin earned her degrees at the University of Nevada and later studied at Columbia, Stanford, and Oxford. She became the first chair of the History Department at the University of Nevada before turning her focus to the suffrage movement. As president of the Nevada Equal Franchise Society and a member of the executive committee of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, she was instrumental in winning the vote for women in Nevada in 1914.
Anne Henrietta Martin worked closely with national suffrage leaders such as Emmeline Pankhurst and Carrie Chapman Catt, and she later became a leading figure in the National Woman’s Party, advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment. Her bold Senate campaigns in 1918 and 1920 challenged the political establishment and inspired generations of women to enter public service.
Anne Henrietta Martin remains a symbol of courage, intellect, and unwavering commitment to social progress.
