Discover the full story of Geraldine Ferraro, the New York congresswoman who made history as the first female vice presidential candidate in 1984.
On July 19 , 1984 , Geraldine Ferraro made chronicle when she walked onto the stage at the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco . Ferraro , a congresswoman from Queens , New York , accepted the official nominating address as a frailty presidential candidate .
In that moment , she became the first woman to be nominate for frailty president by a major political party in the United States . As the daughter of Italian immigrant , she also became the first Italian American to ever receive the vice presidential nomination .
On the popular ticket with Walter Mondale , Ferraro ran with him against then - President Ronald Reagan and then - Vice President George H.W. Bush . At the time , Reagan was at the tallness of his popularity , so Mondale and Ferraro certainly had their work snub out for them .
Diana Walker/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty ImagesBefore she made history as the first female vice presidential candidate, Geraldine Ferraro was a prosecutor and congresswoman from Queens, New York.
While the election ended ill for the Mondale - Ferraro campaign , Geraldine Ferraro ’s nomination was a significant milestone in the progression of U.S. political science , which up until then had been mostly dominated by manpower . Ferraro was lauded for her public presentation as a frailty presidential candidate and for being “ comfortable with the boys . ”
Her electioneering pave the way for more women with ambition for high-pitched office . The U.S. has since see two other women welcome the VP nomination for a major political party , former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin in 2008 , and Sen. Kamala Harris in 2020 . In between , the res publica understand former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton become the first and only woman to get the presidential nomination by a major party in 2016 .
By all history , Ferraro was a trailblazer . Let ’s take a expression at Geraldine Ferraro ’s life — and how she forged a itinerary for woman in U.S. political science .
Santi Visalli/Getty ImagesFerraro had a reputation as a liberal feminist, but her legislative record sometimes teetered toward moderate views.
Who Was Geraldine Ferraro?
Diana Walker / The LIFE Images Collection via Getty ImagesBefore she made story as the first distaff frailty presidential prospect , Geraldine Ferraro was a prosecuting officer and congresswoman from Queens , New York .
Geraldine Ferraro ’s roadblock - break vice presidential nomination will incessantly be etched into the chronicle of U.S. politics . But before she became a Washington pioneer , Geraldine Anne Ferraro was born in Newburgh , New York , on August 26 , 1935 — in the midst of the Great Depression .
Ferraro , who often decease by “ Gerry , ” was the daughter of Italian immigrants . Her Father of the Church , Dominick Ferraro , died when she was untested . So she was brought up by her mother , Antonetta , who raised the family in the South Bronx , working as a dressmaker to make ends gather .
Diana Walker/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty ImagesGeraldine Ferraro was selected among a number of female elected officials who were considered to be the running mate of presidential candidate Walter F. Mondale.
Eventually , her female parent made enough money to send her only daughter and young child to the Marymount School , a Catholic boarding shoal in Tarrytown , New York .
Ferraro ’s excellent grades enable her to earn a scholarship to Marymount College in Tarrytown , from which she transferred to the New York City subdivision . After she graduated college with a level in English , Geraldine Ferraro go on to become a public school teacher .
She take care jurisprudence school at night and , as if a preindication for what was to make out , she was one of only two women in a class of 179 scholar .
Bill Turnbull/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesFerraro’s relative inexperience and the controversy around her husband’s finances were blamed for Mondale’s loss.
Santi Visalli / Getty ImagesFerraro had a reputation as a liberal feminist , but her legislative disc sometimes teetered toward temperate persuasion .
By the prison term Ferraro was looking for a job out of police force school in the early sixties , the world of corporate law was still largely unwelcoming to women . She dedicated herself to raising a kinsperson with her husband while doing some pro bono work for woman in Family Court . She also dabble in local politics .
By the seventies , Ferraro had return to the workforce . She applied for a job at the Queens district attorney ’s office , where her cousin had been fresh appointed as its psyche . She was employ as an assistant district attorney in charge of a special victim bureau , where she handled various cases related to rape , child abuse , and domestic violence .
TIMEFerraro’s historic achievement as the first woman nominated for VP in 1984 paved the way for other women.
Ferraro credit her time at the special victims bureau for the modification in her political views , go from moderate to more liberal . But after days of emotionally draining study as well as inadequate pay at the district lawyer ’s office , she left her job in 1978 .
Geraldine Ferraro ’s expiration led to her next try : Congress .
The First Female Vice Presidential Candidate In U.S. History
In 1978 , Geraldine Ferraro was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from New York ’s Ninth Congressional District . But this win was n’t easy .
In her first race , Ferraro went top dog - to - head against a Republican assemblyman named Alfred A. DelliBovi . She make headway by just 10 percentage points , helped by her “ law and ordering ” background and reinforcement from the local popular establishment .
Geraldine Ferraro grew through the political ranks in her fresh posture as a U.S. Congresswoman . She garnered a of the essence ally in then - House verbaliser , Thomas P. O’Neill Jr.
Emmert/AFP via Getty ImagesFerraro ran for U.S. Senate twice and became a United Nations Human Rights Commission ambassador.
She also became involved in of import legislation , such as the Economic Equity Act in 1981 , which was meant to reform pension choice for woman , protect the rights of widow and divorcées , and allow homemaker to make unnecessary as much as their cultivate married person in private retreat accounts .
“ If a woman can be Vice President of the U.S. , what job is there that a woman can not do ? ”
Geraldine Ferraro earned a reputation as a no - hokum congressman with a reform-minded legislative record . Yet , her pragmatic , white - shekels persona was seen as less “ threatening ” liken to other firebrand politicians of the sentence , such as Bella Abzug andShirley Chisholm . This was thought to make her more appealing to conservatives .
“ You look at her and you could imagine her as your best booster , as your baby , as your penis of Congress , as somebody you want to listen to , ” said Joan McLean , a U.S. House staffer who supported Ferraro ’s vice presidential nomination . “ She has a profile that many woman voters have . ”
Diana Walker / The LIFE Images Collection via Getty ImagesGeraldine Ferraro was selected among a turn of female elect official who were considered to be the running mate of presidential candidate Walter F. Mondale .
Ferraro was a shoo - in as a potential running game mate for former Vice President Walter F. Mondale , whose campaignwanted to use the “ gender gap”between mankind and womanhood to their advantage .
They hoped that opt a woman as Mondale ’s vice presidential running mate would help the Democratic candidate beat out Ronald Reagan , the famously popular Republican who was president at the time . Though electing a female vice president would be staggeringly difficult , it also seemed like an exciting opportunity .
And so in 1984 , Geraldine A. Ferraro made chronicle when she accepted the Democratic nomination — and set her sights on becoming America ’s first distaff frailty chairperson .
She Suffered A Devastating Loss
Bill Turnbull / NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesFerraro ’s relative rawness and the contestation around her hubby ’s pecuniary resource were blamed for Mondale ’s deprivation .
During the mid-1980s , conditions for char in politicswere bleak . Only 24 of the 535 voting members of U.S. Congress were cleaning lady , and no governors were women . The idea of electing a female frailty Chief Executive seemed remarkably ambitious to say the least .
Ultimately , Ferraro and Mondale suffered a devastating loss against President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H. W. Bush . The popular just the ticket secure just one state in the election — Minnesota , Mondale ’s home state — and the District of Columbia .
Like many female politicians , Ferraro was unfairly targeted in the media and arguably faced more scrutiny than her track mate . She struggled to convince voters that she could be the first distaff frailty chairperson . And the sexism she faced on the track was witnessed up close by Mondale .
“ We went down to Mississippi , and some one-time Fannie Farmer say , ‘ Young gentlewoman , do you make proficient blueberry bush muffins ? ’ And she say , ‘ Yes . Do you ? ’ That was the form of thing that she was bump up against , ” Mondalerecalled .
“ She had to keep her cool . She had to be overnice about it . And yet she was undergoing a rotation . It was n’t just reflex . It was her guts and her visual sensation and the depth of her beliefs that helped her get it done . ”
Damaging reports about the finances of Ferraro ’s hubby , John Zaccaro , also weighed on her campaign . And since she was Italian American , some news reports even essay to connect her to prepare crime in New York .
Considering all these factor , it ’s not that surprising that Ferraro failed to become the first female frailty president . However , she still won praise for her operation as a candidate . One of her best moments came during her highly - televised debate against Bush .
The congresswoman , who endured criticism for what was perceive as her lack of experience for the White House position , pushed backagainst Bush ’s condescending remarks during their public debate :
“ I almost resent , Vice President Bush , your condescending mental attitude that you have to teach me about alien policy . I have been a member of Congress for six old age … Secondly , please do n’t categorize my answers either . leave behind the rendering of my answers to the American multitude who are see this debate . ”
After her 1984 election loss , Ferraro ran for Senate twice but lose both races . She ultimately move on to become a United Nations Human Rights Commission ambassador .
In 2008 , she push for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton , who has spoken about the shock of Ferraro ’s bequest .
“ We owe her so much , ” Clinton enjoin . “ She exhort us women and young woman . All of us retrieve new thoughts and imagined Modern possibleness because of Gerry . ”
TIMEFerraro ’s historic achievement as the first womanhood nominated for VP in 1984 paved the way for other fair sex .
Ferraro conk in Boston in 2011 , due to complications of multiple myeloma , a origin cancer that she had been battling for over a decade . She was 75 .
The Legacy Of Geraldine Ferraro
Emmert / AFP via Getty ImagesFerraro ran for U.S. Senate double and became a United Nations Human Rights Commission embassador .
Geraldine Anne Ferraro may not have made it all the way to the White House , but her historical electioneering is still regard as a important milestone in footing of break barriers for women in U.S. politics . Ferraro paved the way for others to follow suit , a feat witness as challenge even today .
“ Sixty - four years after women won the right to vote , a woman had removed the ‘ men only ’ planetary house from the White House door , ” theNew York Timeswroteof the recent congresswoman ’s historic electioneering .
While there have been other womanhood who have tried to become the first female vice prexy since Ferraro , it took 24 long time for another woman to come after in her stride . In 2008 , presidential campaigner Sen. John McCain chose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running spouse on the Republican ticket .
Twelve years after Palin , Sen. Kamala Harris was chosen as the VP candidate by former Vice President Joe Biden on the Democratic just the ticket .
Harris reached a couple of other milestones with her historic candidacy in 2020 : She became the first disgraceful woman and the first Asian American womanhood to receive the VP nominating address from a major political party .
Despite the challenges that Geraldine Ferraro faced back in 1984 , it ’s undeniable that she left an impact on U.S. politics — and encouraged other women to follow their dream of melt down for higher office .
As Ferraro herself once said : “ Every time a charwoman runs , women advance . ”
After reading about Geraldine Ferraro , the first female vice presidential campaigner , see howEdith Wilson , the married woman of U.S. President Woodrow Wilson , took on the duty of the president after her husband ’s stroke . Then meetJill Ruckelshaus , the progressive Republican who counterbalance her political party to fight for women ’s rights .
