Former U.S. Sen. Margaret Smith in Coma After Stroke

Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman to serve in both the House and Senate, was in a coma Tuesday after a severe stroke.

Smith, 97, was being cared for at home but doctors describe the outlook as not favorable, said Merton G. Henry, a lawyer and family spokesman.

“We ask that the people of Maine remember Sen. Smith in their prayers,” Henry said.

Smith, served four terms in the House, 1941-49, and four in the Senate, 1949-73.

In 1964, she placed fifth in the New Hampshire presidential primary and became the first woman whose name was put in nomination for the presidency by a major party.