Mary Mather Hooker

Connecticut House of Representatives A Republican, Hooker was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1920, the first year in which women could vote and run for state office, and thus was among the first five women to serve in the Connecticut General Assembly. She served one term representing the city of Hartford alongside John T. Dunn Jr. She unsuccessfully ran for reelection in 1922, and she and Dunn were succeeded by Raymond M. Marlowe and Louis M. Schatz.

Hooker was again elected to represent Hartford in 1924, and she served from 1925 to 1927 alongside Louis A. Samuels. Hooker was not a candidate for reelection in 1926 and was succeeded by Mary S. Wiedman and Albert Newfield.

On January 5, 1921, the first day of the 1921 session, Hooker became the first woman legislator to speak on the House floor when she said, "Mr Speaker, I did not expect that my maiden speech in the House would be upon tobacco, but I desire to say that I trust the gentlemen of the House will keep on smoking, if they desire, just as if there were no women members". In the 1920s, it was considered taboo for women to smoke and for men to smoke in front of women, and there had been significant discussion over the issue among House members, with Representative W. L. Higgins of Coventry having considered the introduction of an edict to ban smoking in the House.