And for Vice PresidentWhy Not a Woman? TIME Magazine headline, June 4, 1984. However, it is made plausible because of the fact that I am an Italian-American. In 1984, Geraldine Ferraro made history as the first woman to run for Vice President on a major party ticket alongside Democratic candidate Walter Mondale (via Time ). "[87] Mondale and Ferraro rarely touched during their appearances together, to the point that he would not even place his palm on her back when they stood side by side; Ferraro later said this was because anything more and "people were afraid that it would look like, 'Oh, my God, they're dating.'". Ferraro, a daughter of Italian immigrants, had previously gained recognition as a vocal advocate of women's rights in Congress. [24] Moreover, Ferraro found the nature of the cases she dealt with debilitating;[1] the work left her "drained and angry" and she developed an ulcer. You're taking a man's place, you know. [69] On August 12, Ferraro announced that her husband would not in fact be releasing his tax returns, on the grounds that to do so would disadvantage his real estate business and that such a disclosure was voluntary and not part of election law. [41][50] She supported deployment of the PershingII missile and the Trident submarine, although she opposed funding for the MX missile, the B-1B bomber, and the Strategic Defense Initiative. [30] She grew frustrated that she was unable to deal with root causes, and talked about running for legislative office;[17] Cuomo, now Secretary of State of New York, suggested the United States Congress. "All-male control of national political leadership is no longer written in stone, or engraved on voting machines" Bella Abzug and Mim Kelber, in a New York Times op-ed. The lasting image of that press conference is Ferraro, eyes intent, a swarm of microphones arrayed before her. (Many of these discussions, it should be said, happened while the Democrats had yet to choose a suitable man for the top of the ticket.) [107], The campaign did lead to the greater adoption of the honorific "Ms."[108] Although The New York Times refused to use it at the time for her, the paper's iconoclastic columnist and language expert William Safire became convinced it ought to be part of the English language by the case of Ferraro, who was a married woman who used her birth surname professionally rather than her husband's (Zaccaro). I admired Gerry in many ways, not the least of which was the dignified and principled manner she blazed new trails for women in politics. "I am proud to say that the WHITE MALES ONLY NEED APPLY sign is no longer posted outside the White House." [55][211], President Obama said upon her death that "Geraldine will forever be remembered as a trailblazer who broke down barriers for women, and Americans of all backgrounds and walks of life", and said that his own two daughters would grow up in a more equal country because of what Ferraro had done. [26] In 1970, she was elected president of the Queens County Women's Bar Association. [9][10] At Marymount Ferraro was a member of the honor society, active in several clubs and sports, voted most likely to succeed,[4] and graduated in 1952. Editor's Note, August 11, 2020: This article has been updated to reflect the selection of Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's running mate. In 1978 she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she rose rapidly in the party hierarchy while focusing on legislation to bring equity for women in the areas of wages, pensions, and retirement plans. "[4] Unsatisfied, she decided to attend law school;[4] an admissions officer said to her, "I hope you're serious, Gerry. Let me just say, first of all, that I almost resent, Vice President Bush, your patronizing attitude that you have to teach me about foreign policy, she said, an unrehearsed rejoinder. [91] Peter Teeley, Vice President Bush's press secretary, said of Ferraro just prior to the debate, "She's too bitchy. [20] The couple had three children, Donna (born 1962), John Jr. (born 1964), and Laura (born 1966). Privacy Statement (83 percent of them are Democrats, 17 percent Republicans. Ferraro uttered the words, I proudly accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States, and then had to pause for more than a minute for applause and cheers of Ger-ry. Foundational feminist Betty Friedan, who had been hesitant to push for a female nominee, fearing the accomplishment would be solely a symbolic gesture, wrote to Ferraro: It was a peak experience for me that day in San Francisco. [83] Ferraro was also criticized for saying that Reagan was not a "good Christian" because, she said, his policies hurt the poor. All this unfolded amid an outpouring of feminist activism and shifting attitudes about women in politics. She had far less experience than the other Democrats . American women will never be second-class citizens again., VIII. "[110] She still retained admirers, though. [96], On November 6, Mondale and Ferraro lost the general election in a landslide. Cookie Policy [51] The National Organization for Women and the National Women's Political Caucus pushed the notion, as did several top Democratic figures such as Speaker Tip O'Neill. In Ferraros home state of New York, the incumbents won by 7.5 points. [nb 2] The positive polling the Mondale-Ferraro ticket received when she joined soon faded, as damaging questions arose about her and her businessman husband's finances and wealth and her Congressional disclosure statements. Lila Thulin is the former associate web editor, special projects, for Smithsonian magazine and covers a range of subjects from women's history to medicine. [29] She broke with her party in favoring an anti-busing amendment to the Constitution. "[16] She earned a Juris Doctor degree with honors from Fordham University School of Law in 1960,[11][17] going to classes at night while continuing to work as a second-grade teacher at schools such as P.S. [14] During her senior year she began dating John Zaccaro of Forest Hills, Queens, who had graduated from Iona College with a commission in the U.S. Marine Corps. [166] During the 2000s she was on the board of advisors to the Committee to Free Lori Berenson. A presidential year that began with the traveling `cattle show' of Democratic presidential. She felt that if she did a credible job, then she would change the perception of what people thought was possible for women.. [90] To one Bush statement she said, "Let me just say first of all, that I almost resent, Vice President Bush, your patronizing attitude that you have to teach me about foreign policy. I think the candidacy opened a door for women in national politics, and I don't regret that for one minute. She is, in essence, something of a fairy-tale candidate., III. Ferraro quits Clinton campaign after Obama remarks Geraldine Ferraro Biography - Facts, Childhood, Family Life It also produces home textile. [167], Framing a Life: A Family Memoir was published by Ferraro in November 1998. Meet Geraldine Ferraro, The First Female VP Candidate In U.S. History Thats almost exactly what happened. "[187] Her comments resonated with some older white women, but generated an immediate backlash elsewhere. "[58] Convention attendees were in tears during the speech, not just for its significance for women but for all those who had immigrated to America. There she worked with corporations, non-profit organizations, state governments and political figures. [158] Schumer would go on to decisively unseat D'Amato in the general election. Ticket', "Kamala Harris will be the country's first female and first Black vice president", "The Farewell: For Ferraro, Early Promise, Lopsided Loss", "Ferraro Releases Tax Returns for 2 Missing Years to Offset Attacks by Rivals", "Judge Sentences Zaccaro to Work in Public Service", "Jury Acquits Zaccaro of Seeking To Extort Cable Television Bribe", "Acquittal of Zaccaro Puts His Prosecutors on Spot", "Ferraro's Son Sentenced to 4 Months in Jail for Selling Cocaine", "A History Maker Recalls the Door That She Opened", "For Ferraro, Troubles, but a Close Family", "In Senate Campaign, Ferraro Picks Up Where She Left Off", "For Ferraro, Cheers of '84 Are Still Resonating", "Holtzman Draws Criticism From Feminists Over Ads", "Ferraro's Husband Is Said To Have Met Mob Figure", "Abrams, In Tight Senate Vote, Appears to Edge Out Ferraro", "For Feminists, It Wasn't What They Had in Mind", "Bank Named to Bond Sale After Loan to Holtzman Campaign", "Hevesi Throws Hat in Ring For Comptroller's Office", "The 1993 Primary: The Overview Hevesi Outpolls Holtzman, Forcing a Runoff Vote", "A First for the U.N.: Condemning Anti-Semitism", "China Fails to Block U.N. Vote on Rights", "In Training for a Run on the Political Stage", "Ferraro out of 'Crossfire,' into political frying pan", "Joint Tax Returns Show Ferraro Made $150,000 in CNN Job", "Friends Say Ferraro Will Seek D'Amato's Seat", National Democratic Institute of International Affairs, "Washington Talk: Briefing; Ferraro Back in Capital", "Project Vote Smart's Founding & Executive Board Members", "Geraldine Ferraro Joins Board of National Women's Health Resource Center", "About the Committee to Free Lori Berenson", "Legislative Updates: Hematological Cancer Research Investment and Education Act of 2001", Office of Legislative Policy and Analysis, "International staging system for multiple myeloma", "The Ferraro-Corman connection: Brought together by a killer disease", "Geraldine Ferraro and Laura Ingraham Write 'Campaign Countdown' For the New York Times Syndicate", "Georgetown University: Georgetown Public Policy Institute", "Lynn Martin Joins Geraldine Ferraro in Advising Businesses on Workplace and Marketplace Issues", "The Media Business: Advertising Addenda: People", "Neighborhood History and Neighborhood Feel", "Officers and Directors For Goodrich Petroleum Corp", "Female ex-candidate to 'protect' Hillary Clinton", "Clinton supporter quits over Obama remarks", "Ferraro: 'They're attacking me because I'm white', "Ferraro steps down from Clinton campaign", "Playing the Racist Card: Ferraro's comments about Senator Obama were racist. [17] Grumblings that she was the beneficiary of nepotism were countered by her being rated as qualified by a screening committee and by her early job performance in the Investigations Bureau. Geraldine Ferraro was an assistant district attorney in the borough of Queens when she decided to run for an open congressional seat in 1978. IV. [21][23], While raising the children, Ferraro worked part-time as a civil lawyer in her husband's real estate firm for 13years. 290 - ACE Academy for Scholars at the Geraldine Ferraro Campus is a highly rated, public school located in RIDGEWOOD, NY. She's very arrogant. [207] A Newsweek cover story detected a change in how women voters responded to a female vice presidential candidate from Ferraro's time to Palin's, but Ferraro correctly predicted that the bounce that McCain received from the Palin pick would dissipate. [136][131] The feud between Ferraro and Holtzman from the 1992 Senate primary lingered, as the following year Ferraro supported Assemblyman Alan Hevesi's successful primary challenge that unseated Holtzman as New York City Comptroller; Ferraro denied that her endorsement was motivated by revenge against Holtzman, saying it was due to his liberal State Assembly voting record. "[209] Bill and Hillary Clinton said in a statement that, "Gerry Ferraro was one of a kind tough, brilliant, and never afraid to speak her mind or stand up for what she believed in a New York icon and a true American original. It wasnt lost on Ferraro that the third-degree-of-separation reports about her husband and organized crime may have gained unwarranted traction because of their Italian-American heritage, which reporters and politicos alike described as ethnic. I dont think the presswould have put that kind of energy into it if wed been talking about somebody called Jenkins, Ben Bradlee, the storied Washington Post editor whod overseen its Watergate coverage, later told the Los Angeles Times. Mondale: Geraldine Ferraro was a 'gutsy pioneer' - CNN.com Ferraro, a fundraiser and outspoken supporter for Clinton, was Walter Mondale's 1984 Democratic vice-presidential nominee the first woman nominated by a major political party as its candidate for vice president of the United States. [226], Democratic primary for New York's 9th congressional district, 1978[227], New York's 9th congressional district, 1978[228], New York's 9th congressional district, 1980[229], New York's 9th congressional district, 1982[230], 1984 Democratic National Convention (Vice-Presidential tally)[nb 6], 1984 United States presidential election[231], Democratic primary for the United States Senate, 1992[133], Democratic primary for the United States Senate, 1998[232], Business career, illness and medical activism, Although Ferraro was the first woman to be on a major-party ticket for one of the nation's two highest offices, she was not the first woman to receive an, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Public Works and Transportation Committee, United States presidential election, 1984, A Catholic Statement on Pluralism and Abortion, 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee, 2020 Democratic vice-presidential nominee, 1986 United States Senate election in New York, 1992 United States Senate election in New York, United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 1998 United States Senate election in New York, National Organization of Italian American Women, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, Hematological Cancer Research Investment and Education Act, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, candidacy in the party's presidential primaries, Women in the United States House of Representatives, "Women Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates: A Selected List", "When a Catholic Terrified the Heartland", "She Ended the Men's Club of National Politics", "Geraldine A. Ferraro, first woman major-party candidate on presidential ticket, dies at 75", "Geraldine Ferraro dies at 75; shattered political barrier for women as vice presidential nominee in 1984", "Geraldine Ferraro, First Woman VP Candidate, Dies at 75", "Ferraro Won't Release Husband's Tax Returns", "Woman in the News; Democrat, Peacemaker: Geraldine Anne Ferraro", "John Zaccaro Fiance of Geraldine Ferraro", Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Italian-Americans Coming Into Their Own", "Ex-Colleagues Praise Rep. Ferraro As Lawyer", "Ferraro's Husband: Competitive, Private Man", "On Fire Island, Family Haven From City Life", "Finances of Ferraro and Husband Are Interwoven", "Of Ferraro's Roles in Many Arenas, a Favorite: Gerry From Queens", "Geraldine A. Ferraro, 19352011: She Ended The Men's Club of National Politics", "Rep. Ferraro's Transactions Detailed in Public Records", "When the Press Vetted Geraldine Ferraro", "Women Elected to Party Leadership Positions", "2 Areas of Queens Cut ZIP Tie to Brooklyn", "LIC post office renamed for Geraldine Ferraro", "Ferraro joins Democratic ticket July12, 1984", "First female VP candidate Geraldine Ferraro dies at 75", "Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century by Rank", "Geraldine Ferraro: A Break with Tradition", "G.O.P. McLean remembers the pitch the trio made to their mentor, the activist Millie Jeffrey, over a Sunday brunch: You look at her and you can imagine her as your best friend, as your sister, as your member of Congress, as somebody you want to listen to. [141] Ferraro's second book, a collection of her speeches, was titled Changing History: Women, Power and Politics and was published in 1993. Smithsonian magazine participates in affiliate link advertising programs. In private, over Chinese takeout or in a House of Representatives meeting room, the women of Team Aas theyd come to call themselvesstrategized how to place a qualified woman on the ticket. Theres no question that EMILYs List is a direct outgrowth of the political force we saw in women as voters and potential voters, says Howes. Blge 83501 Nolu Cad. [103][104] Ferraro said, "I consider myself completely vindicated. Ferraro earned her bachelor's degree at Marymount Manhattan College in 1956. [154] Indeed, December and January polls had her 25percentage points ahead of Green in the race and even further ahead of Schumer. [29] In 1983, she was named to the powerful House Budget Committee. NEW: Mondale calls Ferraro a "gutsy pioneer". [127] Ferraro became the front-runner, capitalizing on her star power from 1984, and using the campaign attacks against her as an explicitly feminist rallying point for women voters. A hot mic at a subsequent event caught Bush saying he tried to kick a little ass last night, a locker room comment that did him a lot of good with Johnny Lunchbucket and Johnny Sixpack, in the words of Republican consultant Rich Bond. [24] While Ferraro's pro-choice views conflicted with those of many of her constituents as well as the Catholic Church to which she belonged, her positions on other social and foreign policy issues were in alignment with the district. But in December 1985, she said she would not run, due to an ongoing U.S. Justice Department probe on her and her husband's finances stemming from the 1984 campaign revelations. [111], Members of Ferraro's family were indeed facing legal issues. [170] She partnered with Laura Ingraham, starting in December 1999, in writing the alternate-weeks column "Campaign Countdown" on the 2000presidential election for The New York Times Syndicate. Kamala Harris is the nation's third woman vice presidential candidate from a major party. Ferraro, first female vice president candidate, dies at 75 - NBC News The single vice-presidential debate in late October offered the campaign a high-stakes chance to familiarize the public with the magnetic, witty Ferraro that the media often captured as well as a woman who was serious and prepared to be president. [185] She was also a board member for New York Bancorp in the 1990s. [129] In addition, a report by an investigator for the New York State Organized Crime Task Force found its way to the media via a tip from a Holtzman aide; it said that Zaccaro had been seen meeting with the DiBernardo in 1985. [112], Despite the one-sided national loss in 1984, Ferraro was still viewed as someone with a bright political future. [199] She thought Obama had behaved in a sexist manner and that she might not vote for him. [42], As the 1984 U.S. presidential election primary season neared its end and Walter Mondale became the likely Democratic nominee, the idea of picking a woman as his vice-presidential running mate gained considerable momentum. [110][157] In the September 15, 1998 primary, she was beaten soundly by Schumer by a 51percent to 26percent margin. Barnett, whod go on to ready many other Democratic candidatesincluding both Clintonsfor debates, says Ferraro would joke about throwing Bush off-kilter: For the opening handshake, she threatened to kiss the vice president full on the lips, he remembers. "[17] For her six years in Congress, Ferraro had an average 78percent "Liberal Quotient" from Americans for Democratic Action[nb 3] and an average 8percent rating from the American Conservative Union. [176] During the 2000s, Ferraro was an affiliated faculty member at the Georgetown Public Policy Institute. Geraldine Ferraro Dies at 75 - NBC New York Men dont do that., White women have got their representative, a black woman delegate to the convention told Gloria Steinem for Ms. magazine, and that makes me proud as a woman, but I need to know that shes going to fight and stand for me.. [29] She also served on the Public Works and Transportation Committee[1] and the Post Office and Civil Service Committee,[41] both of which allowed Ferraro to push through projects to benefit her district. [150][182][183] She republished Ferraro: My Story in 2004, with a postscript summarizing her life in the twenty years since the campaign. The others are Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee;[106] Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee; and United States Senator for California Kamala Harris, the 2020 Democratic vice-presidential nominee and the first to be on a winning ticket. Mcahitler Mah. "[54] The Mondale campaign hoped that her selection would change a campaign in which he was well behind; in addition to attracting women, they hoped she could attract ethnic Democrats in the Northeast U.S. who had abandoned their party for Reagan in 1980. [24] While organizing community opposition to a proposed building, Ferraro met lawyer and Democratic figure Mario Cuomo, who became a political mentor. Gerry was a very real, down-to-earth, relatable person. Just as previous research had suggested, simply having a woman represented wouldnt automatically win over the rest of her gender. In her own words, Ferraro's account of her history-making 1984 race. Newspapers and magazines recounted her life story: how shed been named after her older brother, Gerard, who had died as a toddler; her fathers death when Ferraro was only 8; her mothers return to crocheting beads onto dresses to support the family; her Catholic-school education; how the particularly reprehensible crimes shed seen as a prosecutor propelled her into public office. Later, she vowed to help defend Clinton from being "swiftboated" in a manner akin to 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry. [129] Ferraro said in response that those two had never met. [72] Furthermore, her remark about Italian men brought criticism for ethnic stereotyping,[73] especially from fellow Italian Americans. [127] As the primary date neared, her lead began to dwindle under the charges, and she released additional tax returns from the 1980s to try to defray the attacks. She ran unsuccessfully for the Senate twice and became the United Nations Human Rights Commission ambassador. She also continued her career as a journalist, author, and businesswoman, and served in the 2008 presidential campaign of Senator Hillary Clinton. And there is still lingering illusory idea that women candidates should somehow be a gender blind choice instead of embracing the obvious value of specifically bringing women's perspectives., The real test of my candidacy will come when the next woman runs for national office, Ferraro says in the documentary produced by her daughter Donna, in a 2010 interview filmed one year before her death from multiple myeloma. Bettmann / Getty Images Ted Cruz picked Carly Fiorina as his running mate on Wednesday. Ger-ry! After her father, a restaurateur, passed away when she was eight, Ferraro's mother worked as a seamstress to support the family. [61] She faced a threshold of proving competence that other high-level female political figures have had to face, especially those who might become commander-in-chief; the question "Are you tough enough?" [31] By the end, she had traveled more than Mondale and more than Reagan and Bush combined. In Mississippi, she was asked whether she could bake a blueberry muffin; in one "Meet the Press" interview, moderated Marvin Kalb questioned both Could you push the nuclear button? and whether Mondale would have chosen her if not for her gender. "[65], The choice of Ferraro was viewed as a gamble, and pundits were uncertain whether it would result in a net gain or loss of votes for the Mondale campaign. [36], Despite being a newcomer to the House, Ferraro made a vivid impression upon arrival[38] and quickly found prominence. "[187][190] (Ferraro had made a similar comment in 1988 disparaging Jesse Jackson's candidacy in the party's presidential primaries, saying that because of his "radical" views, "if Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn't be in the race. At the start of 1998, Ferraro left Crossfire and ran for the Democratic nomination again in the 1998 United States Senate election in New York. "[94], Ferraro's womanhood was consistently discussed during the campaign; one study found that a quarter of newspaper articles written about her contained gendered language. They wanted the eventual nominee to consider a woman for his running mate as a matter of symbolism and practicality, someone who would barnstorm barriers but also be seen as a viable candidate. Am I disappointed in American women?, Ferraro asked rhetorically in her concession speech. Geraldine Ferraro, the first female vice presidential candidate for a major party and former Democratic congresswoman, died Saturday at the age of 75, according to a statement from her family. [125] Ferraro emphasized her career as a teacher, prosecutor, congresswoman, and mother, and talked about how she was tough on crime. I thought that putting a woman on a major-party ticket would change American expectations, permanently and for the better, Mondale wrote. The Ferraro snowball, as one Washington Post reporter called it, had been set into motion in the months between Team As takeout meeting with the congresswoman and the summer of 1984. Oh wait. Im not into losing or being offered up as a sacrifice, Ferraro wrote in her memoir. [116] The case against him was circumstantial, a key prosecution witness proved unreliable, and the defense did not have to present its own testimony. P.S. 290 - ACE Academy for Scholars at the Geraldine Ferraro Campus - Niche [186] She assisted with fundraising by assuming an honorary post on the finance committee for Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. Geraldine Ferraro Dies at 75 | PBS NewsHour [35][57][78], Sharp criticism from Catholic Church authorities put Ferraro on the defensive during the entire campaign, with abortion opponents frequently protesting her appearances with a level of fervor not usually encountered by pro-choice Catholic male candidates such as Mario Cuomo and Ted Kennedy.
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