Vera C. Bushfield

Vera Sarah Bushfield (née Cahalan; August 9, 1889 – April 16, 1976) was an American politician served as a U.S. senator from South Dakota in 1948, as well as the First Lady of South Dakota from 1939 to 1943. Bushfield's appointment also marked the first time one state had been represented by two female senators; Gladys Pyle served for two months in late 1938 and early 1939.

Early life Vera Sarah Cahalan was born in Miller, South Dakota, on August 9, 1889, the daughter of Maurice Francis Cahalan and Mary Ellen (Conners) Cahalan. She attended the public schools of Miller and in 1912 she graduated from Menomonie, Wisconsin's Stout Institute with a degree in domestic science.

After serving as governor, Harlan Bushfield served as a U.S. Senator beginning in 1943. In 1952, she endorsed Senator Robert A. Taft for president.

In 1961, Bushfield took advantage of the floor privileges granted to former senators to speak to the U.S. Senate on the 100th anniversary of the creation of Dakota Territory. After a speech by James Eastland in which he praised the career of Harlan Bushfield, Eastland yielded the floor to Senator Francis H. Case, who introduced Vera Bushfield so she could deliver her remarks.