This Week we Celebrate the life of Geraldine Ferraro
To look back at Geraldine Ferraro’s career…well I felt as if I needed to work a bit harder. Geraldine Ferraro was born in Newburg NY in Aug 1935. She had three older brothers, one who died at birth, and one who passed away at three years old. Adding to the unfortunate loss of her brothers her father passed away in 1944 when she was just eight.
After her fathers death her mother supported the family by working as a seamstress. Geraldine attended Parochial school where she excelled and achieved honor society as well as being voted most likely to succeed. She graduated in 1952 and entered Marymount Manhattan College and in 1956 graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She was the first women in her family to obtain a college degree, and later passed the city requirements to become a schoolteacher.
Feeling unchallenged she left teaching to pursue a law degree and in 1960 she earned her degree from Fordham University and passed the NY bar in 1961. As busy as she was she married in 1960 to John Zaccaro whom she had three children with, two girls and one boy. Working with her husband as a real-estate lawyer and donating her services as a civil lawyer Geraldine enjoyed her time as she raised her children.
It was not until 1974 when she was appointed as the Assistant district Attorney of Queens New York that she held her first full time political job. While working for the District Attorney Geraldine Ferraro obtained a reputation for being fair but tough. At the urging of Mario Cuomo, Geraldine ran for elections for the U.S. House of Representatives and against two better-known rivals she won the Democratic Nomination with 53% of the vote and went on to win the general election defeating Alford A. Dellibovi.
Geraldine served her time in the House of Representatives with distinction. Elected to several committees, Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus; House Budget Committee; Public Works and Transportation Committee and held a seat on the very influence Steering and Policy Committee. In 1984 Walter Mondale became the likely Democratic selection. Urged to select a woman as his running mate on July 12, 1984 Geraldine Ann Ferraro was chosen as the first women Vice President for a major political party.
As with anyone entering politics her life was scrutinized and financial questions were raised about her and her husband. Openly criticized by the Cardinal John O'Connor and Bishop James Timlin for not following the Catholic Churchs stance on abortion she stood by her beliefs. While these and other issues dogged the presidential campaign Geraldine Ferraro never backed down and continued with the campaign. But, on November 6, 1984 Mondale and Ferraro lost the general election by a landslide winning Mondal’s sate of Minnesota and DC only.
After the election Geraldine Ferraro stayed active in politics running for Senate and being appointed as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights by Bill Clinton. In 1998, feeling tired and lacking energy, Geraldine was seen by a doctor, she was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma and on March 26, 2011 she succumbed to the disease. She was an increadle woman, a trailblazer and someone to admire male or female. The Story Place