Mary Cordelia Beasley-Hudson, a life-long resident of Benton County, was an advocate for women's suffrage. The Tennessee General Assembly approved an amendment to the state constitution to allow women's suffrage on April 15, 1919. Seven days later, Beasley-Hudson was the first female in the state to cast a ballot when voting in the Camden municipal election. In 1920 the nation ratified the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote. One month before the 1920 presidential election, Beasley-Hudson died; her remains are interred in Camden City Cemetery. On March 5, 2008, the Tennessee General Assembly recognized her with a proclamation.