As she unveiled a portrait of early women's rights advocate Abigail Adams on Friday, Senate President Karen Spilka announced an open call to the people of Massachusetts to nominate the next woman who will be permanently memorialized in the Senate.
Spilka and Catherine Allgor, president of the Massachusetts Historical Society, unveiled Adams' portrait at a ceremony in the Senate Reading Room joined by senators, staff, and two descendants of Abigail Adams. The Historical Society donated the picture, a reproduction of an original 1766 pastel by artist Benjamin Blyth of Salem, according to Spilka's office.
Spilka recalled feeling "sad" and "angry" on her first walk through the State House after winning her first legislative election. She saw only "older, white men" looking down at her from the framed portraits on the walls, she told the small crowd.
"I do believe that the State House should be representational of our population here in Massachusetts. And I can't help but wonder if Abigail Adams felt something similar at times," the Ashland Democrat said.
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Allgor said that Adams, a Weymouth native, served as "John Adams' one-woman Cabinet" during his presidency from 1797 to 1801.
No women are currently included in the Senate's collection of marble and bronze busts. Spilka announced Friday that she was "putting out a call to every Massachusetts resident across the state" to nominate historic women who could be honored with a sculpture inside the Senate Chamber. A website is set to go live next week to accept nominations.
A nominee, Spilka said, should be "an influential woman who has made historic contributions to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or any woman of national import who has ties to this state." Ideas will be reviewed by the revitalized Senate Art Committee, to be chaired by Sen. Julian Cyr of Truro.
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Abigail Adams' portrait will be displayed just over the threshold on the left as visitors cross into the Senate lobby.
"I look forward to knowing that thousands of women are going to walk down the hall full of men, walk into our lobby, to be greeted by a woman, Abigail Adams," Spilka said. "That's very exciting to me. Where she belongs -- in a hall of power, where we do remember the ladies, and where we are proud to be led by them."
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