▁– ▁January ▁ 1 6 , ▁ 1 9 6 9 ), ▁wid ow ▁of ▁ 2 5 - year ▁U . S . ▁Senator ▁H . ▁St yles ▁Br id ges , ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁woman ▁to ▁seek ▁election ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁from ▁New ▁Ham pshire . ▁ ▁Consider ed ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁sta unch ly ▁anti - comm un ist ▁women ▁who ▁emer ged ▁as ▁leaders ▁during ▁the ▁Gold water ▁era ▁of ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 6 0 s , ▁she ▁died ▁of ▁cancer ▁before ▁the ▁de cade ▁was ▁over , ▁without ▁ever ▁winning ▁office . ▁ ▁Personal ▁background ▁Dol oris ▁May ▁Th au wald ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Gib bon , ▁Minnesota , ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁Dr . ▁Charles ▁Cas per ▁Th au wald ▁and ▁Clara ▁( F red iani ) ▁Th au wald . ▁She ▁was ▁educated ▁in ▁St . ▁Paul , ▁Minnesota ▁public ▁schools ▁and ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Minnesota ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 . ▁ ▁She ▁attended ▁St ray er ▁Business ▁College ▁at ▁Washington ▁D . C ., ▁and ▁the ▁Foreign ▁Service ▁School ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Department ▁of ▁State . ▁ ▁She ▁entered ▁government ▁service ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Department ▁of ▁In ternal ▁Re venue , ▁and ▁later ▁became ▁an ▁administrative ▁assistant ▁in ▁the ▁State ▁Department ' s ▁world ▁trade ▁intelligence ▁division . ▁ ▁W ife ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 4 ,