Lottie Holman O'Neill, born on November 17, 1878, in Barry, Pike County, Illinois, moved to Downers Grove, DuPage County, Illinois, in 1908, two years after marrying William Joseph O'Neill, and they had two children, Elmer and William Jr. Interested in politics and supporting women's suffrage, she campaigned for and won her first term in the Illinois House of Representatives in 1922, becoming the first woman elected to the Illinois General Assembly just two years after the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote. Considered a conservative Republican, she strongly supported the rights of women and children and backed prohibition. Her first bill provided state funding to schools to establish classes for physically disabled children, and her best-known legislation created the eight-hour workday for women. She served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1923 until 1931 and again from 1933 to 1951. In 1930, she made two unsuccessful campaigns, one in the state Republican primary for Illinois Senate and one as an independent candidate for the United States Senate backed by the Anti-Saloon League. She won her second bid for the Illinois Senate and served from 1951 until her retirement in 1963. Over thirty-eight years in the Illinois General Assembly, she set a longevity record for women. She died at her home in Downers Grove on February 17, 1967.