--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: 1924, the first two women were elected…" description: "\"“1924, the first two women were elected governors, and both were uninspiring stand-ins for their husbands. Nellie Tayloe Ross, the widow of the governo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/gail-collins-3567_marriage_1924-the-first-two-women-were-elected-go_2805459.png" --- # 1924, the first two women were elected governors, and both… ![“1924, the first two women were elected governors, and both were uninspiring stand-ins for their husbands. Nellie Tayloe Ross, the widow of the governor of Wyoming, had not even wanted her husband to run for office, and when he died suddenly, the Democrats nominated her to fill out his term without…” quote by Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/gail-collins-3567_marriage_1924-the-first-two-women-were-elected-go_2805459.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/gail-collins-3567_marriage_1924-the-first-two-women-were-elected-go_2805459.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/gail-collins-3567_marriage_1924-the-first-two-women-were-elected-go_2805459.png) > ““1924, the first two women were elected governors, and both were uninspiring stand-ins for their husbands. Nellie Tayloe Ross, the widow of the governor of Wyoming, had not even wanted her husband to run for office, and when he died suddenly, the Democrats nominated her to fill out his term without her permission. “Ma” Ferguson of Texas ran for office when her husband was impeached. Her signature achievement as governor was to pardon an average of 100 criminals a month in what critics claimed was a fee-for-freedom scheme. For”” [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early female governors were often placeholders for their husbands, lacking independent authority and sometimes engaging in dubious practices. **In simple terms:** Women were used as stand‑ins, not true leaders. Key Takeaway Recognize and support genuine female leadership. Themes gender politics political history women's rights Mood critical reflective Type analytical historical When to use this quote - historical analysis - political science - gender studies Key Concepts patriarchy tokenism political legitimacy Questions to Reflect On - How can we ensure women leaders have true authority? - What structures prevent genuine representation? A Different Perspective Their impact was limited by systemic sexism and lack of autonomy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) ## Related quotes > [“Governor Barber, who may have understood these things also, undermined Angus’s plan. Because of the actions of the governor of Wyoming, it would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-davis/governor-barber-who-may-have-understood-these-things-also-undermined/) [John W. Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-davis/) > [The very qualities that make it harder for women to get elected - not being part of the old boy's network - gives them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-m-kunin/the-very-qualities-that-make-it-harder-for-women-to-get-elected-not/) [Madeleine M. Kunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-m-kunin/) > [Do I want more women elected to Parliament? Absolutely. 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It is an incredibly inspiring and challenging job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hanson/i-know-for-my-wife-and-i-we-always-loved-the-idea-of-being-young/) [Taylor Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hanson/) > [Unmarried couples should get married - that's an excellent tax avoidance measure, if a bit drastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whiting/unmarried-couples-should-get-married-that-s-an-excellent-tax/) John Whiting ## More by Gail Collins > [The Bushes were certainly part of Texas in their mind, but they didn't have the kind of political flavor that you normally find in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/the-bushes-were-certainly-part-of-texas-in-their-mind-but-they-didn-t/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [The work-family divide is the biggest issue for American women. But in some ways it's amazing how adjusted society has become to it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/the-work-family-divide-is-the-biggest-issue-for-american-women-but-in/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [I don't think the folks in the low-tax states really want to go into a fairness discussion. Residents of Connecticut and New York would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/i-don-t-think-the-folks-in-the-low-tax-states-really-want-to-go-into/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [I would walk a thousand miles To feel your hugs and see your smiles But then one day we had to part The hardest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/i-would-walk-a-thousand-miles-to-feel-your-hugs-and-see-your-smiles/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [“One law prohibited blacks from testifying against whites in court, and carefully defined “negro” as anyone who had one nonwhite grandparent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/one-law-prohibited-blacks-from-testifying-against-whites-in-court-and/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [“An estimated 400 women disguised themselves as men to fight in the Civil War. 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I admired the way Nancy Pelosi stiffened the Democrats' spine during the health care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/i-admired-the-way-mccain-worked-on-campaign-finance-reform-i-admired/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [Some of our national heroines were defined by the fact that they never nested - they were peripatetic crusaders like Susan B. Anthony, Clara…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/some-of-our-national-heroines-were-defined-by-the-fact-that-they/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [When the women's movement began, it was a middle-class phenomenon. Certainly, black women had other stuff to think about in the '60s besides a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/when-the-women-s-movement-began-it-was-a-middle-class-phenomenon/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [Downplaying their faults is pretty much the point of campaigns. But we do count on them living with the constant terror of public rejection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/downplaying-their-faults-is-pretty-much-the-point-of-campaigns-but-we/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) [Explore all 127 Gail Collins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) ## More Marriage quotes > [Unmarried couples should get married - that's an excellent tax avoidance measure, if a bit drastic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-whiting/unmarried-couples-should-get-married-that-s-an-excellent-tax/) John Whiting > [I know for my wife and I, we always loved the idea of being young parents. It is an incredibly inspiring and challenging job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hanson/i-know-for-my-wife-and-i-we-always-loved-the-idea-of-being-young/) [Taylor Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hanson/) > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I don't like being away from home. That's one reason why I don't work as much as I used to \[when I started my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-powell/i-don-t-like-being-away-from-home-that-s-one-reason-why-i-don-t-work/) [Jane Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-powell/) > [Luckily, the bullet that hit my chest never got to me. It was stopped by a silver case I got for my brother's wedding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-doohan/luckily-the-bullet-that-hit-my-chest-never-got-to-me-it-was-stopped/) [James Doohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-doohan/) > [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [“Take an interest in his appearance. Keeping his clothes in order is your job; encouraging him to look his best, and admiring him when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-baker/take-an-interest-in-his-appearance-keeping-his-clothes-in-order-is/) [Ellen Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-baker/) > [Females always say, you can't turn a hoe into a house wife, but steady be trying to turn a dog into a faithful man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hussein-nishah/females-always-say-you-can-t-turn-a-hoe-into-a-house-wife-but-steady/) [Hussein Nishah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hussein-nishah/) > [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/) [William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [Most marriages don't add two people together. They subtract one from the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/most-marriages-don-t-add-two-people-together-they-subtract-one-from/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [Alimony - the ransom that the happy pay to the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/alimony-the-ransom-that-the-happy-pay-to-the-devil/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [“His own parents, the estimable Gilchrists, a couple who had taken the 'till death' part of their own wedding vows so seriously he wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-blake/his-own-parents-the-estimable-gilchrists-a-couple-who-had-taken-the/) [Ally Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-blake/) [Browse all 31,920 Marriage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“1924, the first two women were elected governors, and both were uninspiring stand-ins for their husbands. Nellie Tayloe Ross, the widow of the governor of Wyoming, had not even wanted her husband to run for office, and when he died suddenly, the Democrats nominated her to fill out his term without her permission. “Ma” Ferguson of Texas ran for office when her husband was impeached. 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