Geraldine Ferraro Biography 

American politician Geraldine Ferraro is known for her democratic viewpoints and six-year stint in Congress, but she is by far most known as the first woman to run for vice president on a major political ticket.

Geraldine Anne Ferraro was born August 26, 1935 in Newburgh, New York. Her parents were Antonetta L Corrieri, an Italian American seamstress, and Dominick Ferraro. Ferraro’s father died, however, when she was only eight.

She obtained her education from Marymount Manhattan College, where she secured her BA. She then went on to attend Fordham University School of Law in order to earn her JD. Schooling was not easy for Ferraro, though, as she had to attend night classes around her day job as a second-grade teacher.

Struggling through the hectic schedule, Ferraro completed her law degree in 1960. Also struggling against the stigma of being a woman in college, Ferraro graduated alongside only one other woman.

Utilizing her degree, Ferraro eventually went to work for the Queens County DA’s office after which she decided to pursue a political career.

Starting in 1978, she represented New York for three terms as a congresswoman. One incident of note during her six-year stint in Congress was a trip to both Nicaragua and El Salvador in which she openly chastised the Ronald Reagan administration and named their policies as contributing factors to the situation in Central America.

1984 was also a big year for Ferraro as she was named the candidate for Vice President on the Walter Mondale ticket. She beat out other hopefuls Gary Hart, Henry Cisneros, Dianne Feinstein, Tom Bradley, and others. The first woman to receive this billing, it was a major moment in women’s history.

Others remember her run for the vice presidency for a mild controversy involving Barbara Bush. When questioned about her feelings towards Ferraro, Mrs. Bush said she had no comment. When pressed, she said to think of a word that rhymed with “rich.” Reportedly, Bush called Ferraro later that night to explain and apologize.

After the loss of the White House to Reagan and George H W Bush, Ferraro was named as a United Nations ambassador for human rights by President Bill Clinton.

For her trailblazing work in the field of women’s rights, Ferraro was honored in 1994 with an induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

Making news in 1998, Ferraro was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Not taking the fight lying down, Ferraro became an extremely vocal spokesperson for the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

Most recently, she threw her support behind current presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton. After some controversial remarks about Barack Obama and race in general, however, she stepped back from the campaign for fear of hurting Clinton’s chances.

In her personal life, Ferraro married John Zaccaro, a real estate agent, on July 16, 1960. They raised three children together, and they are currently still married.

She resided for a good portion of her life in Forest Hills Gardens, Queens. More recently, however, she relocated to the more bustling center of Manhattan.