Mary Louise Hancock

Mary Louise Hancock (July 5, 1920 – December 4, 2017) was a New Hampshire state senator, New Hampshire State Planning Director and was often referred to as 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 received both 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] Hancock was a distant relative of famed revolutionary John Hancock. Hancock died on December 4, 2017 at the age of 97.[3]

Mary Louise Hancock
New Hampshire State Senator – 15th District
In office
January 1977 – July 1979
New Hampshire State Planning Director
In office
March 1960 – September 1976
Personal details
Born(1920-07-05)July 5, 1920
Franklin, New Hampshire, U.S.
DiedDecember 4, 2017(2017-12-04) (aged 97)
Political partyDemocratic

Mary Louise Hancock Day

In 2000, Governor Jeanne Shaheen proclaimed July 5, Hancock's birthday, to be Mary Louise Hancock Day[4] throughout her home state of New Hampshire.

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.

References
  1. Clinton's New Hampshire Machine | The Trail | washingtonpost.com Archived October 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "www.marylouisehancock.org". Archived from the original on September 13, 2017. Retrieved January 26, 2008.
  3. "NH Democratic legend Mary Louise Hancock dies at 97". New Hampshire Union Leader. Concord, New Hampshire. December 4, 2017. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2023 – via Wayback Machine.
  4. Mary Louise Hancock Day proclamation
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