The Little will screen Connie Cook: A Documentary (Nils Hoover, Sue Perlgut, U.S. 2015, 56 min.)

[…]After graduating from Cornell Law School in 1943, Constance Eberhardt Cook was one of the first women who worked in a New York City corporate law firm. She went on to become confidential legal aid to Governor Thomas Dewey and then the legislative and administrative aide to Representative R. Ashbury from the 125th legislative district. Connie sought to assume Rep. Ashbury's seat when he retired and although well qualified, found herself opposed by the local Republican Party. Connie had to fight a four-way primary battle before facing a democratic opponent; she won the seat in 1962. Cook was a pioneer in the political world and opposed common perceptions about women's lives as she forged her career in the New York State Assembly. She represented Tompkins County when there were only two other women there. Using the political process, Connie composed legislation concerning broad-based public control of education and the decriminalization of abortion. Her efforts regarding abortion became the model for the rest of the country in the U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe vs. Wade in 1973.

[source: Little Theatre website, 2017-Apr-24]