Elizabeth Dole

Elizabeth Dole (born July 29, 1936, Salisbury, North Carolina, U.S.) is a trailblazing American politician whose career included many “firsts” for women. She was the first female secretary of transportation (1983–87); the first female executive of the American Red Cross (1991–99) since its founder, Clara Barton; and the first serious female contender for the Republican presidential nomination (2000). Dole also served in the U.S. Senate from 2003 to 2009.

Education

Dole was born the only daughter of John Van Hanford and Mary Cathey Hanford, wealthy merchants in the floral industry. Dole excelled academically and was elected class president during her first year in high school. She earned a degree in political science from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, in 1958 and a master’s and a law degree from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1960 and 1965, respectively. Upon finishing her education, she moved to Washington, D.C., to work in national politics.

A pioneering politician

Although a member of the Democratic Party, Dole served as deputy assistant for consumer affairs under Pres. Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973. In 1973 Nixon appointed her to a seven-year term on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). In 1975 she married Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas and became a Republican; they were together until his death in 2021. She took a leave of absence from the FTC during her husband’s vice presidential bid with Gerald Ford in 1976 and resigned from her position in 1979 to campaign for her husband’s 1980 presidential run.

During the Reagan administration Dole served as the director of the White House Office of Public Liaison from 1981 to 1983 and as the first female secretary of transportation from 1983 to 1987. She implemented a requirement that new automobiles include a third brake light and successfully raised the drinking age from 18 to 21 by withholding 10 percent of federal highway funds from states that failed to comply. From 1989 to 1990 Dole served as secretary of labor under Pres. George Bush. In 1991 she became the president of the American Red Cross, a position she held until 1999 when she resigned to pursue the Republican presidential nomination.

2000 presidential bid and Senate career

Known for her down-to-earth style of political communication, Dole was catapulted into national consciousness at the 1996 Republican National Convention when she gave a speech on behalf of her husband’s presidential bid. Her ability to connect with her audience—both television and live—established her national reputation and opened the door for her own presidential run in 2000.

Dole’s attempt to secure the 2000 Republican Party presidential nomination uncovered some of the barriers for women seeking election to the highest political office in the United States. She garnered less media coverage than expected for the second most popular Republican candidate and was less likely than other candidates to be mentioned first in news stories or be included in front-page articles. The press also discussed her personality and physical features in disparaging, gendered ways and repeatedly talked about Dole as the “first woman” to be a serious presidential candidate, suggesting that she was a novelty in the race. Failing to close the gap between her and Texas Gov. George W. Bush and lacking in campaign funds, Dole quit the race in October 1999.

In 2002 Dole went on to win a seat in the U.S. Senate from North Carolina. She served as the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee from 2005 to 2007 and left the Senate in 2009 after an unsuccessful bid for reelection. In 2012 she established the Elizabeth Dole Foundation to support the caregivers of injured soldiers. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Pres. Joe Biden in 2024.

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