THE VFA PIONEER HISTORIES PROJECT

Geraldine “Gerry” Ferraro

“You can do whatever you want to do. You can be whoever you want to be.”

First female vice-presidential candidate on a major party ticket in U.S., 1984. Assistant District Attorney, Queens County New York, 1974. Head of Special Victims Bureau, 1977; prosecuted cases involving rape, child abuse, spouse abuse and domestic violence. Elected, U.S. House of Representatives, 1978. Admitted to United States Supreme Court bar, 1978. Co-sponsor, 1981 Economic Equity Act. Founder, Americans Concerned for Tomorrow, political action committee; focused on getting women candidates elected. Harvard Institute of Politics, fellow, 1988 – 1992. U.S. Ambassador, United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 1993 – 1996. CNN political talk show Crossfire, 1996 – 1998. Campaigned for U.S. Senate, 1992 and 1998. Published three books, Ferraro: My Story, 1985; Changing History: Women, Power and Politics, 1993; Framing a Life: A Family Memoir, 1998. Inducted, National Women’s Hall of Fame, 1994. Initial recipient, Trailblazer Award, National Conference of Women’s Bar Associations, 2008. Bachelor of Arts in English, Marymount Manhattan College, 1956. JD with honors, Fordham University School of Law, 1960.  

“Geraldine will forever be remembered as a trailblazer who broke down barriers for women and Americans of all backgrounds and walks of life.” President Barack Obama, 2011.