The first woman who was not the wife or daughter of a politician to win a full Senate term died yesterday at the age of 82. A staunch conservative, Senator Paula Hawkins was called the "housewife from Maitland" and in addition to demolishing the gender barrier in the US Senate, her legacy includes defending children, fighting drugs and championing stay-at-home mothers.

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A mother of three, Mrs. Hawkins began her political career in 1972 winning a seat on the Florida Public Service Commission and quickly becoming the commission's chairwoman. After unsuccessful bids for the Florida state legislature and lieutenant governor, she defeated five opponents for the Republican nomination for US Senate in 1980 ad went on to win the general election.

She called herself a "children's senator," spurred by the kidnapping and murder of Adam Walsh, as well as sexual abuse she herself suffered as a child. During her Senate career she focused on missing children, abuse, child support and youth obesity before they were hot-button issues and she was instrumental in passing the Missing Children's Act of 1982.

Senator Hawkins also supported laws that cut off aid to drug-running countries and helped initiate the South Florida Drug Task Force and the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. Another cause she championed in the Senate was legislation to help homemakers enter the job market and receive pension benefits.

True to her conservative beliefs, Mrs. Hawkins was pro-life, in favor of prayer in schools and an opponent of the Equal Rights Amendment. These positions often clashed with the liberal media bias that was apparent even in the 1980's. A smart, attractive woman with traditional values and conservative ideas; she could be considered an earlier version of Sarah Palin.

In these times when women hold positions such as Speaker of the House and Secretary of State, when women are viable candidates for every high office in the country, it is sometimes easy to forget that just 30 years ago women had virtually no chance of being elected to the Senate unless a male family member had paved the political way for them. Mrs. Hawkins changed that.

Thank you, Senator Hawkins.