She challenged sexist assumptions, helping women develop a sense of self-worth and gain a measure of equality at work, at home and in society at large.
She was the first Republican woman from the state to be elected to the House. It caused a stir in 2024 when she was discovered to be residing in a senior living facility while still in office.
An unorthodox Republican, he helped shape tax policy and women’s rights legislation before resigning in 1995 amid accusations by more than 20 women of sexual misconduct.
Often voted the “brainiest,” “funniest” and “most eloquent” member of the House, he was also the first to come out voluntarily and helped normalize being openly gay in public office.
The wife of Senator Edward Kennedy for a quarter of a century, she both basked and struggled in the reflected glare of a political family in the spotlight.
Married to Gov. Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts, she became a proponent of electroshock therapy after unsuccessful treatments for alcoholism and depression.
