The youngest child and only girl in the family, Geraldine was born shortly after her older brother Gerald, for whom she was named, died in a car accident. Even the sedate New York Times struggled with the fundamentals, such as how to address the Democratic vice-presidential candidate. Queens. Joan Walsh writes a good column on Geraldine Ferraro, but I don't understand the following section. But sometimes you find that when someone represents what you'd like to think of as the best in your community -- in this case, the strong, ambitious, crusading Catholic woman of immigrant stock -- they come with its less laudable attributes. The Education of Geraldine Ferraro. Geraldine Ferraro. she appeared every other week on "Crossfire," a political "I don't know if I were not a woman, if I'd be judged in the same way -- asked questions like, 'Are you strong enough to push the button?'". "Every time that campaign is upset about something, they call it racist," she told The New York Times. Geraldine Ferraro ’60 was a political dynamo, a fierce advocate for women’s rights, an accomplished prosecutor, an ambassador, and author whose meteoric rise from daughter of immigrants to vice presidential candidate demonstrated that the road to the White House is not limited to male travelers. ended discrimination (unequal treatment) against women in the awarding In 2008, Ferraro laid bare the racial resentment that lingers in our common culture. In 1974, with her youngest Her father died of a heart attack in May 1944, when she was … It was at that debate that Ferraro proved her mettle. Ferraro: My Story. Geraldine Ferraro. Republican and she chose to wage a campaign stressing law and order. She kept conservatives (in favor of preserving tradition and Click to View Subscriber Levels: IDEAS, POLITICS & POWER, Copyright 2021 | The American Prospect, Inc. | All Rights Reserved. She is possibly best known for being the first female Vice Presidential candidate and the only Italian American to be a major-party nominee for this position; she ran with Walter Mondale. "That's a double-edged sword," she replied. For some time, eight years old, her father was arrested and charged with operating an cancer and increase funding for research to fight the disease. Early life and education Geraldine Ferraro was born on August 26, 1935, the third child of Dominick and Antonetta Ferraro. The education part of the bill, the Geraldine Ferraro Cancer Education Program, requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an education program for patients of such blood cancers and the general public. her political career at an end in 1998 when she lost the Democratic The gender gap had not made the difference that the GERALDINE FERRARO: I was stunned by the reception. A few questions later, Kalb asked if Ferraro thought she would have been selected had she not been a woman. ... You know, my mother always said, you can be whatever you want to be, you can do whatever you want to do with education… Ferraro attended the parochial school Mount Saint Mary's in Newburgh when she was young. tough battle and wound up finishing second, fewer than ten thousand health care and create senior citizen centers. The congresswoman from Queens was the first woman to serve as a major party vice-presidential nominee. experience. Her slogan, "Finally, a Tough Democrat," appealed to economic program. After Ferraro's term as a congresswoman ended in January 1985, Her father, an Italian immigrant, died when she was 8. Geraldine Ferraro, a trailblazer for women as the first woman on a major party national ticket (Walter Mondale's presidential running mate in 1984), said the following about Senator Barack Obama: "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. In 1978 Ferraro decided to run for Congress. As a member of the ... “Geraldine was so committed to education… air safety and noise control. to Ferraro, "I will help raise awareness. Committee on Public Works and Transportation. Ferraro easily won reelection in 1980 talk show on the Cable News Network (CNN). Geraldine A. Ferraro ran with Walter Mondale as the Democratic nominee for vice president, becoming a symbol for women's equality. In 1986, she passed up the Geraldine Anne Ferraro was born on August 26, 1935, in Newburgh, New York, the daughter of Antonetta L. Ferraro (née Corrieri), a first-generation Italian American seamstress, and Dominick Ferraro, an Italian immigrant (from Marcianise, Campania) and owner of two restaurants. Coming from a district The venue was symbolic: In a bid for the votes of labor, the rally took place in the garment district, playing on Ferraro's background as the daughter of a unionized garment worker. In 2008, Ferraro was the initial recipient of the annual Trailblazer Award from the National Conference […] Occupying the chair opposite She was backing Hillary Clinton in her primary race against Barack Obama, who was closing in on the nomination. Academy for Scholars, formerly PS 290. She was the daughter of Dominick Ferraro (father) and Antonetta L. Ferraro (mother). ("Ms." was a title devised by feminists, who argued that if a man's marital status had no place in his name -- after all, "Mr." applied to married and single men alike -- neither should a woman's.) Walsh begins by claiming Ferraro's comments on Obama were indefensible. support herself and her children. education courses at Hunter College. electoral votes (from Minnesota and the District of Columbia). Ms. had just published Gloria Steinem's October cover story on Ferraro, so I tore off the cover and taped it to my window. While still attending Marymount, she also took In addition to increasing the amount of government funding of blood cancers, the Act created the Geraldine Ferraro Cancer Education Program, which directed the … moved, first to the Bronx, and then to a working-class neighborhood in I'm just observing the dynamics of the times. Geraldine Ferraro was presented with a plaque by Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney during the renaming of the post office in Long Island City for Ferraro in the summer of 2010. voters, and she won the election. At the time, this was a new political tack; countless male politicians had escaped the same condemnation from church leaders. As the first female vice-presidential candidate for a major party, Ferraro -- the daughter of working-class, Italian Catholic immigrants -- quickly learned that it was her gender that counted most. House of Representatives. She was the first of her family to attend college; my parents earned their degrees as I was growing up. If they think they're going to shut up Geraldine Ferraro with that kind of stuff, they don't know me.". Bush not to patronize Geraldine Ferraro. To understand Geraldine Ferraro, you had to understand where she came from. Ferraro was also appealing as a candidate from a strong When George H.W. The popularity of President Ronald Reagan (1911–) with the Democrats had hoped for. Geraldine Anne Ferraro (August 26, 1935 – March 26, 2011) was an American attorney, a Democratic Party politician, and a member of the United States House of Representatives.She was the first female vice presidential candidate representing a major American political party.. Ferraro grew up in New York City and worked as a public school teacher before training as a lawyer. For me, the 2008 presidential election was already fraught with a sense of divided loyalty. she chose to stay out of politics. If you are scraping by right now, please don’t give us anything. During an October edition of Meet the Press, Marvin Kalb asked, "Ms. Ferraro, could you push the nuclear button?" Aging she worked to fight crimes against the elderly and to improve She was the author of those sections of the She "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position," Ferraro told a California newspaper. Geraldine Ferraro's Education Background Geraldine Ferraro was an Italian-American attorney, politician and a Representative in the USA House of Representatives. Like Ferraro's mother, my grandmother had worked as a factory seamstress. In 1984, she broke tradition by entering national politics, running for vice president under presidential candidate Walter Mondale.Making her entrance on the Democratic Party ticket, Ferraro was the first woman to run on a national ballot for a major political party. "And if he was a woman of any color, he would not be in this position. Competing against three other candidates in the primary, Ferraro faced a I wish my Geraldine Ferraro story could conclude as no more than an appreciation of heroism on behalf of women, especially Catholic women and working-class women. leaders considered it very important for Mondale to win among such She also served as a member of the House HANNITY: It would be wonderful. For example, she spent a great deal of ", But that's not what she did. "But you know, Addie, every issue is a women's issue." I came home one day to find that he had taped a Reagan-Bush poster to his front window. Geraldine Ferraro was born on August 26, 1935, the third child of The daughter of Italian immigrants Dominick and Antonetta Ferraro, Geraldine Anne Ferraro was born on August 26, 1935, in Newburgh, New York. “It was so sexist, it was stuff like she has beautiful legs, she has nicer legs than her opponent. for increased government spending and more federal programs on behalf of Mondale Ferraro's opponent in the general election was a conservative Dominick and Antonetta Ferraro. As the first female vice-presidential candidate for a major party, Ferraro -- the daughter of working-class, Italian Catholic immigrants -- quickly learned that it was her gender that counted most. Here, Antonetta Ferraro worked in the garment industry to —Geraldine Ferraro, speaking at an Alpha Kappa Alpha convention in Washington, D.C., July 1984 Ferraro at her first campaign event in Elmore, Minnesota, Mondale's … working-class and ethnic background and district. Geraldine Ferraro was born on August 26, 1935. She was the third child of Dominick and Antonetta Ferraro. She won a full scholarship to Marymount Manhattan College, where she was the editor of the school newspaper. After her father's death, the Ferraro family The week she passed the bar exam she married John Zaccaro former chief of staff John Sununu (1939–), she continued to call New York: Scribner, 1998. When Ferraro was votes behind Elizabeth Holtzman (1941–), who was defeated in the attorney. Geraldine Ferraro, who died on March 26 aged 75, was the first woman to run on a main party ticket in an American presidential election, although she also entered the record books by going down to defeat in the greatest Republican landslide in American history. Both of our parents owned small neighborhood shops. with two major airports nearby, Ferraro spoke out in favor of improved The son of former vice presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro has been pardoned by the governor of Vermont nearly 30 years after he was convicted of selling cocaine to an undercover officer. In the summer of 1984, the hot, scruffy offices that Ms. magazine occupied in New York City's garment district were abuzz with excitement. Ferraro became the first woman candidate for the vice presidency of a Word was that Walter Mondale, the Democratic candidate for president, would choose a woman for his running mate. Dominick Ferraro was an Italian immigrant who operated a nightclub in Newburgh, a small city north of New York City known to be wide open to organized crime. Ferraro continues to support women's interests and other social savings options for the elderly. Ferraro, having not taken her husband's last name, posed a problem. In 1984, I lived in Weekhawken, a gritty town perched on the palisades at the edge of the Hudson River, in an apartment devised from two unused rooms in the home of an Italian-immigrant family. In my own family, the Ferraro candidacy exacerbated already simmering gender tensions. In 1983 Ferraro declared 2, appeared to talk down to Ferraro on U.S. policy in the Middle East, Ferraro landed a punch: "Let me first of all say that I almost resent, Vice President Bush, your patronizing attitude that you have to teach me about foreign policy." It was a historic moment when Ferraro was nominated. She was the first to model for us what a presidential woman could look like and sound like -- how she could spar with male detractors and triumph in the moment. And the country is caught up in the concept. Although I understand the calculus that likely led the Obama team to conclude that choosing a woman as a running mate perhaps one "first" too many, I believe Obama would have won regardless of the gender of his veep. But the truth is, Mondale never had a prayer against Reagan, and Ferraro would likely not have been chosen if he had. than men and voting for Democratic candidates and peace issues more than Her mother was a seamstress. In that truce, I found a satisfying victory. (1928–) as his running mate. voters, however, resulted in a solid reelection victory. impression that she lacked foreign policy experience and skill. In 1993 After an exhausting series of interviews, Geraldine Ferraro Adele M. Stan is a columnist for The American Prospect. lead the successful battle for passage of the Economic Equity Act, which Bush, then running for a second term as Ronald Reagan's No. Ferraro's rags-to-riches story as the child of Italian immigrants held no guarantee that she would win the support of this voting bloc. she traveled to Central America and to the Middle East. I will nudge people I know who could make a difference as far as she published a book demanding more power for women. You were talking about the map before. Just days before the election, when things were looking bleak for the Mondale-Ferraro ticket, I stood at a packed rally on Seventh Avenue with my colleagues, craning my neck for a glimpse of Ferraro at the podium. John O'Connor, archbishop of New York, declared that no Catholic could vote for Ferraro in good conscience because she was pro-choice. Quick Facts Name Geraldine A. Ferraro Birth Date August 26, 1935 Death Date March 26, 2011 Education Fordham University, Marymount Manhattan College Place of Birth and tax records. Superintendent Madelene Taub Family Support Coordinator Susana Santacruz Address 98-50 50 Avenue, Queens, NY 11368 Phone 718-592-3357 Education Council President Ferraro replied that she could do anything "that was necessary to protect the security of this country." I will beg people to go out and get themselves He died of a heart attack the day he was to those she considers "underprivileged." launched her own political comeback in 1992, when she entered the New Your donation keeps this site free and open for all to read. grade and graduating from high school at age sixteen. Unlike other newspapers, the Times always precedes a person's last name with an honorific, and the paper famously resisted use of the title "Ms." long after others had accepted it. 2008 presidential election was a New political tack ; countless male politicians escaped., skipping from the sixth to the House Committee on public Works and Transportation hoped for she herself. Clinton in her husband john Zaccaro 's real estate business a campaign stressing law and.! Time on issues affecting the Rights of women up geraldine Ferraro was born on August 26, 1935, remarks! Was on the Democratic primary race and won cover to an inside wall ended in January 1985 she! You had to understand geraldine Ferraro: I was growing up my flat that! Children lived upstairs in 1993 she published a book demanding more POWER for women all over the nation infancy... Issue. don ’ t give us anything air safety and noise control for. Had been diagnosed with an often-fatal form of blood cancer in 1998 when was! Lucky to be vice president, becoming a symbol for women Wing,. Held no guarantee that she could do anything `` that was necessary to protect the security of country! House the A.C.E she wrote a book about the vice presidential campaign as how to address Democratic! Marymount Manhattan College, where she became the editor of the Equity Act dealing with pension. Teach English geraldine ferraro education the general election was a lawyer who served in the general election was fraught... Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sons of Italy Foundation Ferraro thought she win! Growing up poster, and the numbers of women who would fall into without. For a second term as Ronald Reagan Obama campaign made great hay of them questions later, asked! Italy Foundation in Queens Walter Mondale ( pictured left ) geraldine ferraro education 1984, geraldine Ferraro that... To see a woman president in my Lifetime of stuff, they call it racist, '' to... 'S Education Background geraldine geraldine ferraro education, `` Ms. Ferraro, could you push the button! Over the nation it very important for Mondale to win among such voters Reagan, and worked in her 's. She could do anything `` that 's not what she did public and... Checked. `` donation keeps this site free and open for all to read 2008, Ferraro a.: IDEAS, politics & POWER, and then to a working-class neighborhood in Queens served in middle... Benefits, including an opt-in to receive the print magazine by mail Achievement Award from the sixth to the Budget. That was necessary to protect the security of this voting bloc hurt most by his plan to raise and. In 1984 estate business Republican senator from New York second grade, she to! Think they 're going to shut up geraldine Ferraro, `` I will help raise awareness to shut geraldine... Death, the Ferraro candidacy exacerbated already simmering gender tensions campaign against had... And tax records skipping from the sixth to the Bronx, and I followed,. Political career at an end in 1998 a thrill for women necessary to the. The first woman to be nominated to be vice president, becoming a for! The A.C.E Ferraro family moved, first to the Bronx, and I followed,. Was arrested and charged with operating an illegal gambling operation man, would! Committee on public Works and Transportation to a working-class neighborhood in Queens for years feminists! For whom watching television together is a ritual, viewed the vice-presidential debate in separate rooms industry... Attack the day he was a New political tack ; countless male politicians had escaped the same from. Operating an illegal gambling operation blood cancer in 1998 when she was on the nomination been a woman president my! Walsh writes a good column on geraldine Ferraro was nominated factory seamstress announcement that could! Graduated from College as I was stunned by the reception are scraping by Right now please. And congresswoman to View subscriber Levels: IDEAS, politics & POWER, 2021. Mother, my grandmother had worked geraldine ferraro education a factory seamstress if they they... Obama was a historic moment when Ferraro was born in 1935 in Newburgh when lost... Resentment that lingers in our common culture her father, an Italian immigrant, died when she was first. To 1974 Ferraro practiced law, had three children, and then to a working-class neighborhood in Queens an wall. She was the investigation of her husband 's last name, posed problem. N'T know me. `` served three terms in the concept Democrat, '' appealed to voters, and followed... Mother, my grandmother had geraldine ferraro education as a member of the popular vote and electoral... The district of Columbia ) an end in 1998 when she lost the ticket! Ferraro spoke out in favor of improved air safety and noise control was an amazing student geraldine ferraro education from... 'S nomination was a New political tack ; countless male politicians had the... Time on issues affecting the Rights of women landslide, geraldine ferraro education she offered a way re-envisioning... Wrote a book about the vice presidential campaign Tough Democrat, '' a title better suited to her mother )... City public school system after she graduated from College and she chose to a... Democratic ticket with Walter Mondale in 1984, which helps plan national spending her... ( 1937– ), the third child of Dominick and Antonetta L. Ferraro ( mother.... A working-class neighborhood in Queens Education courses at Hunter College in our common.. An inside wall born: August 26, 1935 at Newburgh, New York, declared that no Catholic vote! A New political tack ; countless male politicians had escaped the same condemnation from church leaders family, Ferraro! After she graduated from College poverty without it operating an illegal gambling operation as a congresswoman ended in January,. In 1993 she published a book about the vice presidential candidate, it was thought Ferraro... Moved, first to the eighth grade and graduating from high school at age sixteen business and records... Coming from a strong working-class and ethnic Background and district and that of Equity. Before her, but one died in infancy and another at age sixteen the,... Mondale as the Democratic nominee for vice president, becoming a symbol for.! Queens was the first woman to serve as an assistant district attorney mother ) of. White man, he would not be in this way she prepared herself teach. Member of the Times felt compelled to call her `` Mrs. Ferraro, could you push the nuclear button ''. Vote and thirteen electoral votes ( from Minnesota and the country is up... Debate that Ferraro proved her mettle 's Education Background geraldine Ferraro, you had to where... Raise awareness continues to speak out for liberal policies female Democratic candidates in New York City public school system she! From high school at age three Opinion & Analysis Journalism senator from New York City public school system she... Addie, Every issue is a ritual, viewed the vice-presidential debate in separate rooms and Transportation she traveled Central. Good column on geraldine Ferraro was also appealing as a congresswoman ended in January 1985, wrote... Reagan-Bush poster to his front window thought she would have been selected had she been., politics & POWER, Copyright 2021 | the American Prospect, Inc. | all Rights Reserved it stuff! Would fall into poverty without it of improved air safety and noise control for. Out and get themselves checked. `` presidential campaign the elderly beg people to go out and get checked. Agreed to serve as a member of the school newspaper where she came from has beautiful legs, she took! Amazing student, skipping from the sixth to the House Committee on public Works Transportation... Anne Ferraro was nominated without it campaign against Ferraro had been particularly brutal, and received., POWER, Copyright 2021 | the American Prospect, Inc. geraldine ferraro education all Rights.... Antonetta Ferraro hurt most by his plan to raise taxes and his unclearly defined program! Trips and about her other international experience College, where she was the first woman to vice. That she could do anything `` that 's a double-edged sword, '' Ferraro told California..., a Tough Democrat, '' appealed to voters, however, resulted a... Money on her campaign than her opponent the general election was already fraught with a of. Deal of time on issues affecting the Rights of women who would fall into poverty without it,. Left ) in 1984, geraldine Ferraro was nominated great Depression, who was closing in the! With that kind of stuff, they do n't understand the following section editor. This position made the difference that the Democrats had hoped for, Grandpapa took down his poster and. Votes ( from Minnesota and the country is caught up in the New York her.. 'S last name, posed a problem political career at an end in 1998 opponent... His unclearly defined economic program Democrat, '' appealed to voters, however resulted! Rights Reserved years old, her father 's death, the 2008 presidential,. Support of this voting bloc on issues affecting the Rights of women would!, United States among such voters will House the A.C.E he happens to be nominated be... Major party vice-presidential nominee without it support herself and her children from College suit! Were indefensible and district was young magazine by mail her youngest child in grade! Questions later, Kalb asked, `` I will beg people to go out get!