Mary Louise Hancock
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mary Louise Hancock | |
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New Hampshire State Senator - 15th District
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| In office January 1977 – July 1979 |
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New Hampshire State Planning Director
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| In office March 1960 – September 1976 |
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| Born | July 5, 1920 (age 87) Franklin, New Hampshire |
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Mary Louise Hancock (born July 5, 1920) is a retired New Hampshire state senator, former New Hampshire State Planning Director and has been called the 'Grand Dame'[1] and the 'Queen Bee' of New Hampshire politics. She is a long term resident of New Hampshire's capital city of Concord and was the first woman to be elected senator from the state's 15th district. She has been the recipient of the Robert Frost Award and the Susan B. Anthony Award. She has received honorary degrees from Keene State College as well as Notre Dame College of New Hampshire.[2] Ms. Hancock is a distant relative of famed revolutionary John Hancock.
[edit] Mary Louise Hancock Day
In the year 2000, Governor Jeanne Shaheen proclaimed July 5, Hancock's birthday, to be Mary Louise Hancock Day[3] throughout her home state of New Hampshire.
[edit] Lighting of the dome
On January 4, 1979 Hancock joined with then-New Hampshire governor Hugh Gallen to relight the golden dome atop the New Hampshire State House. The previous governor, Meldrim Thomson, Jr., had ordered the lights to remain off during his term. During Hancock's second term as a state senator she met with the newly-elected Gallen, and together they flipped the switch in the first days of his governorship.
