Ella Rose Tambussi Grasso (
May 10,
1919 -
February 5,
1981) was an
American politician. Born in
Windsor Locks,
Connecticut to Italian immigrant parents, she would become the first woman to be truly elected
governor of a
U.S. state in her own right rather than by succeeding a deceased husband or acting as his surrogate.
After attending St. Mary's School in Windsor Locks, and then the
Chaffee School in Windsor, Grasso went on to
Mount Holyoke College, in
South Hadley,
Massachusetts, where she was awarded her BA in
1940 and her MA in
1942. After graduation, she served as assistant director of research for the War Manpower Commission of Connecticut.
In
1952, Grasso was elected to the
Connecticut House of Representatives, and served until
1957. She became first woman to be elected
Floor Leader of the House in
1955. In
1958 she was elected Secretary of the State of Connecticut and was re-elected in
1962 and
1966. She was the first woman to chair the Democratic State Platform Committee and served from
1956 to
1968. She served as a member of the Platform Drafting Committee for the
1960 Democratic National Convention. She was the co-chairperson for the Resolutions Committee for the Democratic National Conventions of
1964 and
1968. In
1970 she was elected as a Democratic representive to the
92nd Congress, and won reelection in
1972.
In
1974 Grasso did not run for reelection to Congress, instead running for the Connecticut
governorship, and won. She began her first term in 1975 and was elected to a second term in
1978.
On
December 31,
1980, Grasso resigned her office due to her
ovarian cancer, and died of it several weeks later on
February 5,
1981 at the age of 61.
Later that year, President
Ronald Reagan posthumously awarded her the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the
National Women's Hall of Fame inducted her in
1993.
External links
Preceded by:
Thomas Meskill (Republican) |
Governor of Connecticut
1975 - 1980 |
Succeeded by:
William A. O'Neill (Democrat) |
