Florence Reville Gibbs (1890–1964) was a Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 congresswoman, the first woman to represent Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

 in the United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

.

Florence Reville was born April 4, 1890, in Thomson

Thomson, Georgia

Thomson, incorporated February 15, 1854, is a city in McDuffie County, Georgia, United States. The population was 6,828 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of McDuffie County. Thomson's nickname is "The Camellia City of the South", in honor of the thousands of camellia plants...

, McDuffie County, Georgia

McDuffie County, Georgia

McDuffie County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on October 18, 1870. As of 2000, the population was 21,231. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 21,551. The county seat is Thomson....

. She grew up there, attending public schools, and then graduated from Brenau College in Gainesville, Georgia

Gainesville, Georgia

-Severe Weather:Gainesville sits on the very fringe of Tornado Alley, a region of the United States where severe weather is common. Supercell thunderstorms can sweep through any time between March and November, but are concentrated most in the spring...

. She married Willis Benjamin Gibbs

W. Benjamin Gibbs

Willis Benjamin Gibbs was a U.S. Representative from Georgia, husband of Florence Reville Gibbs.Born in Dupont, Georgia, Gibbs attended the public schools and Mercer University, Macon, Georgia....

, a Georgia attorney and politician.

In 1938, W. Benjamin Gibbs was elected as a Democrat to represent Georgia's Eighth congressional district in the 76th United States Congress

76th United States Congress

The Seventy-sixth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1939 to January 3, 1941, during the seventh and...

. He took his seat on January 3, 1939, and served until his death in 1940. Florence Gibbs was elected as a Democrat in the special election to fill the vacant seat left by her husband's death; she took office October 1, 1940. She did not run in the general election

General election

In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...

 to represent the district in the 77th United States Congress

77th United States Congress

-Major events:* December 7, 1941: Attack on Pearl Harbor* December 8, 1941: Joint Session of Congress met to hear President Roosevelt deliver his "Day of Infamy" speech...

, and she left office January 3, 1941.

After leaving Congress, Florence Gibbs retired from public life and resided in Jesup, Georgia

Jesup, Georgia

Jesup is a city in Wayne County, Georgia, United States. The population was 9,279 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Wayne County.-Geography:Jesup is located at ....

, until her death there on August 19, 1964.