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Leonor Sullivan

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Leonor Sullivan
Sullivan by CJ Fox (Irving Resnikoff)
Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus
In office
January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1975
LeaderJohn McCormack
Carl Albert
Preceded byEdna Kelly
Succeeded byPatsy Mink
In office
January 3, 1959 – January 7, 1964
LeaderSam Rayburn
John McCormack
Preceded byEdna Kelly
Succeeded byEdna Kelly
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Missouri's 3rd district
In office
January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1977
Preceded byPhil Welch
Succeeded byDick Gephardt
Personal details
Born
Leonor Kretzer

(1902-08-21)August 21, 1902
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
DiedSeptember 1, 1988(1988-09-01) (aged 86)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1941; died 1951)​
Russell Archibald
​
(m. 1980)​
EducationWashington University

Leonor Kretzer Sullivan (August 21, 1902 – September 1, 1988) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri. She was a Democrat and the first woman in Congress from Missouri.

Biography

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Born Leonor Kretzer in St. Louis, Missouri, three of her grandparents were German immigrants.[1] Sullivan attended Washington University in St. Louis and was a teacher and director at St. Louis Comptometer school. She was married to John B. Sullivan, who served four terms in Congress, and she served as his administrative aide. Following her husband's death in 1951, she served as an aide to Congressman Leonard Irving until she left to run for Congress herself in 1952. She was re-elected eleven times. In Congress, she served for many years as Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus.

Sullivan helped create the food stamp program,[2] which was opposed by Agriculture Secretary Ezra Taft Benson and became law in the 1960s during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.

Sullivan did not sign the 1956 Southern Manifesto, and voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,[3] 1960,[4] 1964,[5] and 1968,[6] as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.[7][8]

Sullivan was one of very few members of Congress, and the only woman member of Congress, to vote against the Equal Rights Amendment for women in the early 1970s. Sullivan opposed abortion and called for the passage of the Human Life Amendment[9]

She did not seek re-election in 1976, and was succeeded by Dick Gephardt.

In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Sullivan's name and picture.[10]

The former Wharf Street in front of the Gateway Arch in Downtown St. Louis was renamed Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard in her honor.

Quotes

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"A woman with a woman's viewpoint is of more value when she forgets she's a woman and begins to act like a man."

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "United States Census, 1920", FamilySearch, retrieved March 15, 2018
  2. ^ Taylor, B. Kimberly (2002). "Sullivan, Leonor Kretzer". Women in World History, Vol. 15: Sul-Vica. Waterford, CT: Yorkin Publications. pp. 4–5. ISBN 0-7876-4074-3.
  3. ^ "HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957". GovTrack.us.
  4. ^ "HR 8601. PASSAGE".
  5. ^ "H.R. 7152. PASSAGE".
  6. ^ "TO PASS H.R. 2516, A BILL TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR INTERFERENCE WITH CIVIL RIGHTS. INTERFERENCE WITH A PERSON ENGAGED IN ONE OF THE 8 ACTIVITIES PROTECTED UNDER THIS BILL MUST BE RACIALLY MOTIVATED TO INCUR THE BILL'S PENALTIES".
  7. ^ "S.J. RES. 29. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN THE USE OF POLL TAX AS A REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS". GovTrack.us.
  8. ^ "TO PASS H.R. 6400, THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT".
  9. ^ McDonagh, Eileen L. (1996). Breaking the Abortion Deadlock: From Choice to Consent. p. 168.
  10. ^ Wulf, Steve (2015-03-23). "Supersisters: Original Roster". Espn.go.com. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Leonor Sullivan.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Missouri's 3rd congressional district
1953–1977 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairperson of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee
1973–1977 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus
1959–1964 		Succeeded by
Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus
1965–1975 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Response to the State of the Union address
1972
Served alongside: Carl Albert, Lloyd Bentsen, Hale Boggs, John Brademas, Frank Church, Thomas Eagleton, Martha Griffiths, John Melcher, Ralph Metcalfe, William Proxmire 		Vacant
Title next held by
Mike Mansfield
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