What is Paula Hawkins (politician)?
{{Infobox officeholder |name = Paula Hawkins |image = Hawkins, Paula.jpg |jr/sr = United States Senator |state = [[Florida]] |term_start = January 1, 1981 |term_end = January 3, 1987 |predecessor = [[Richard Stone (politician)|Richard Stone]] |successor = [[Bob Graham]] |birth_name = Paula Fickes |birth_date = {{birth date|1927|1|24}} |birth_place = [[Salt Lake City]], [[Utah]], [[United States|U.S.]] |death_date = {{death date and age|2009|12|4|1927|1|24}} |death_place = [[Winter Park, Florida|Winter Park]], [[Florida]], [[United States|U.S.]] |party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] |spouse = Gene Hawkins |children = 3 |education = [[Utah State University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]]) }} '''Paula Hawkins''' (née '''Fickes'''; January 24, 1927 – December 4, 2009) was an American politician. She is the only woman elected to the [[U.S. Senate]] from [[Florida]]. She was the second woman ever elected to the Senate from the [[American South]]. She was the first woman in the country to be elected to a full Senate term without having a close family member who was in major public office.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.startribune.com/politics/78523567.html|title=Congressman: Ex-Fla. Senator Paula Hawkins dies at 82 first Southern woman elected to the Senate|last=Schneider|first=Mike|date=December 4, 2009|work=(Minnesota) Star-Tribune|access-date=August 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309184147/http://www.startribune.com/politics/78523567.html|archive-date=March 9, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/orlandosentinel/obituary.aspx?n=paula-hawkins&pid=136954564&fhid=4109|title=Paula Hawkins|date=December 6, 2009}}</ref> She was in the Senate from 1981 until 1987 as a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]. Hawkins died on December 4, 2009 at her home in [[Winter Park, Florida]] from problems caused by a fall, aged 82.<ref>[http://www.tampabay.com/news/obituaries/florida-sen-paula-hawkins-billed-as-