Alice Pattison Merritt (May 13, 1876 – October 17, 1950) was an American politician who was the first woman to be elected to the

Connecticut State Senate The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 99,280 inhabitants. Sena ...

, in 1924. Reelected in 1926, she served in the senate from 1925 to 1929.

Early life

Merritt was born Alice Virginia Pattison in

Simsbury, Connecticut Simsbury is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 24,517 at the 2020 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's 21st town in May 1670. History Early history At the beginning of the 17th century, the ...

, on May 13, 1876, and graduated from

Hartford High School Hartford Church of England High School is a voluntary aided Church of England secondary school on Neot Road in Hartford, Cheshire, for students aged between eleven and sixteen. The school has dual specialist college status in both languages an ...

in 1895. She worked in insurance until 1903 when she married Joseph Merritt, future president of Hartford Special Machinery Company, which specialized in blueprints. During World War I in 1918, she served as a lieutenant of the Hartford Chapter of the

American Red Cross Motor Corps American Red Cross Motor Corps (also known as American Red Cross motor service) was founded in 1917 by the American Red Cross (ARC). The service was composed of women and it was developed to render supplementary aid to the U.S. Army and Navy in tr ...

. She was evidently independent enough to drive when most women did not.

Political career

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, Merritt represented Connecticut's 2nd Senate District, which at that time comprised the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth wards of the city of

Hartford Hartford is the capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It was the seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the ...

. In February 1925, Merritt became the first woman to preside over a Connecticut State Senate session. She served on the Education, Capital House and Grounds, and Federal Regulations Committees and chaired the Committee on Humane Institutions. She was a member of the

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...

. Merritt opposed welfare and other forms of government intervention, voting against a child labor law and strongly supporting President

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...

. She cited her husband as her "wisest adviser." While engaged in politics, she was invited to speak at many local and national Republican meetings, including ones in Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York.

Civic service

Merritt was active in the Republican Party and the

Girl Scouts of the USA Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA), commonly referred to as simply Girl Scouts, is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. Founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, it was organized a ...

, in addition to singing contralto in church choir. She served on the Republican state central committee and co-founded and served as commissioner of the Hartford Council of Girl Scouts. In 1929, she was appointed New England regional chair of the Girl Scouts and was elected to the board of directors of the national organization in 1943. Camp Alice P. Merritt in

Hartland, Connecticut Hartland is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 1,901 at the 2020 census. History Residents petitioned the General Court and the legislature incorporated the town in May 1761. Geography The town is bisected ...

, was named in her honor. Merritt remained active in civic affairs after leaving office. In 1949, she was serving as a trustee of the

Connecticut Valley Hospital Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown, Connecticut, is a public hospital operated by the state of Connecticut to treat people with mental illness. It was historically known as Connecticut General Hospital for the Insane. It is a historic d ...

. That same year, she was the inaugural recipient of a civil leadership award from the Hartford chapter of the B'nai B'rith Women. The

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...

named a women's dormitory in her honor.

Personal life

Merritt died suddenly while shopping in Hartford on October 17, 1950. Her husband had died in January 1950. She was survived by children Robert, Philip, and Virginia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merritt, Alice Pattison 1876 births 1950 deaths People from Simsbury, Connecticut Politicians from Hartford, Connecticut Republican Party Connecticut state senators Women state legislators in Connecticut 20th-century American women politicians 20th-century American legislators Girl Scouts of the USA people 20th-century Connecticut politicians