geraldine ferraro, 1935-2011

Geraldine A. Ferraro, the first woman nominated for national office by a major US political party, is gone. She was 75 and had suffered from multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, for 12 years.

In one of the shoeboxes that house the archives of my life, there is a letter from Ms. Ferraro, or at least from her campaign office. I had written a fan letter and received a lovely reply - not a form letter, a personalized recognition of my appreciation. Ferraro was a trailblazer, and in 1984, her campaign meant a lot to me.

Her New York Times obituary is here.

If you are wondering who was the first woman to run for national office in the United States, that would be Victoria Woodhull, who ran for President in 1872. Her running mate was Frederick Douglass.

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