Gavel
Original OwnerOriginally owned by
Ella Grasso
(American, 1919 - 1981)
Date1976
Mediumwood; brass
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (overall length x width): 11 × 3 1/2in. (27.9 × 8.9cm)
ClassificationsGovernment and Politics
Credit LineGift of Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame
Object number2023.51.2
DescriptionWooden gavel used by Ella Grasso at the 1976 Democratic Convention. There are two brass plaques affixed to the gavel. The larger plaque reads, "DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION / NEW YORK CITY / JULY 12-15, 1976." The smaller plaque reads, "MADE OF WOOD FROM / THOS. JEFFERSON'S / ESTATE, MONTICELLO / CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA."
Label TextIn 1974, Ella Grasso (1919-1981) became the first woman elected governor in her own right and cemented her position as a major player on the national stage when she used this gavel to co-chair the 1976 Democratic Convention. She was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame in 1994. Her legacy lives on as, in the words of former State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier, “Every woman elected to statewide office in Connecticut owes a debt of gratitude to Ella Grasso.”
Status
Not on view
