Leonor Sullivan

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Leonor Sullivan

|image = LeonorSullivan.jpg

|caption = Sullivan by CJ Fox (Irving Resnikoff)

|office = Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus

|leader = John McCormack
Carl Albert

|term_start = January 3, 1965

|term_end = January 3, 1975

|predecessor = Edna Kelly

|successor = Patsy Mink

|leader1 = Sam Rayburn
John McCormack

|term_start1 = January 3, 1959

|term_end1 = January 7, 1964

|predecessor1 = Edna Kelly

|successor1 = Edna Kelly

|state2 = Missouri

|district2 = {{ushr|MO|3|3rd}}

|term_start2 = January 3, 1953

|term_end2 = January 3, 1977

|predecessor2 = Phil Welch

|successor2 = Dick Gephardt

|birth_name = Leonor Kretzer

|birth_date = {{birth date|1902|8|21}}

|birth_place = St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.

|death_date = {{death date and age|1988|9|1|1902|8|21}}

|death_place = St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.

|party = Democratic

|spouse = {{plainlist|

{{marriage|John Sullivan|1941|1951|end=died}}
{{marriage|Russell Archibald|1980}}

}}

|education = Washington 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

Born Leonor Kretzer in St. Louis, Missouri, three of her grandparents were German immigrants.

{{citation |url= https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8ZP-PJH |title= United States Census, 1920 |website= FamilySearch |access-date=March 15, 2018 }} 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,{{cite book|title=Women in World History, Vol. 15: Sul-Vica|year=2002|publisher=Yorkin Publications|location=Waterford, CT|isbn=0-7876-4074-3|pages=4–5|last=Taylor|first=B. Kimberly|chapter=Sullivan, Leonor Kretzer}} 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,{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/85-1957/h42|title=HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957.|work=GovTrack.us}} 1960,{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/86-1960/h102|title=HR 8601. PASSAGE.}} 1964,{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/88-1964/h128|title=H.R. 7152. PASSAGE.}} and 1968,{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/90-1967/h113|title=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.}} as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/87-1962/h193|title=S.J. RES. 29. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN THE USE OF POLL TAX AS A REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS.|work=GovTrack.us}}{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/89-1965/h87|title=TO PASS H.R. 6400, THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT.}}

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{{cite book |title=Breaking the Abortion Deadlock: From Choice to Consent|last=McDonagh |first=Eileen L. |year=1996 | page=168}}

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.{{cite web|last=Wulf |first=Steve |url=https://www.espn.com/espnw/news-commentary/story/_/id/12535055/original-roster |title=Supersisters: Original Roster |publisher=Espn.go.com |date=2015-03-23 |access-date=2015-06-04}}

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

Quotes

"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."

References

External links

{{Biographical Directory of Congress|S001057|findagrave=6616006|date=December 29, 2013}}
{{cite web |url=http://history.house.gov/People/Detail/22444 |title=Sullivan, Leonor Kretzer |publisher=U.S. House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives |access-date=29 December 2013}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Missouri's 3rd congressional district|years=1953–1977}}

{{s-ttl|title=Chairperson of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee|years=1973–1977}}

{{s-ttl|title=Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus|years=1959–1964}}

{{s-ttl|title=Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus|years=1965–1975}}

{{s-ttl|title=Response to the State of the Union address|years=1972|alongside=Carl Albert, Lloyd Bentsen, Hale Boggs, John Brademas, Frank Church, Thomas Eagleton, Martha Griffiths, John Melcher, Ralph Metcalfe, William Proxmire}}