Elizabeth Dole

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Elizabeth H. Dole
)

Elizabeth Dole
Director of the Office of Public Liaison
In office
January 20, 1981 – February 7, 1983
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded byAnne Wexler
Succeeded byFaith Whittlesey
Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission
In office
December 4, 1973 – March 9, 1979
Appointed byRichard Nixon
Preceded byMary Gardiner Jones
Succeeded byPatricia Bailey
Personal details
Born
Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford

(1936-07-29) July 29, 1936 (age 87)
Salisbury, North Carolina, U.S.
Political partyRepublican (1975–present)
Other political
affiliations
Democratic (before 1975)
Spouse
(m. 1975; died 2021)
EducationDuke University (BA)
Harvard University (MEd, JD)
Signature

Mary Elizabeth Alexander Dole (née Hanford; born July 29, 1936)[1] is an American attorney, author, and politician who served as a United States Senator from North Carolina from 2003 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served in five presidential administrations, including as U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President Ronald Reagan from 1983 to 1987 and as U.S. Secretary of Labor under Reagan's successor, George H. W. Bush, from 1989 until 1990. Dole then left government to serve as president of the American Red Cross from 1991 to 1999; she departed from that position to seek the Republican nomination in the 2000 presidential election but eventually withdrew from the race.

Dole graduated from Duke University in 1958 and earned a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School in 1965. Throughout her public career, she was the first woman to hold a number of positions, including secretary of transportation, becoming the first woman to serve in two different presidential cabinet positions for two presidents after being appointed secretary of labor, as well as the first female U.S. senator from North Carolina and chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. She was also the third female secretary of labor and just the second woman to lead the American Red Cross since its founder, Clara Barton. She is the widow of U.S. Senator Bob Dole from Kansas, who served as the Republican Senate leader and was the party's presidential nominee in the 1996 election and vice presidential nominee in the 1976 election.

Early life and education

Dole was born Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford in Salisbury, North Carolina, to Mary Ella (née Cathey; 1901–2004) and John Van Hanford (1893–1978).[1][2]

Dole attended Duke University and graduated with distinction in political science on June 2, 1958. She was a finalist for an Angier B. Duke scholarship, a full-tuition award given to outstanding applicants who matriculate at Duke.[3] She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and was a recipient of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, a national prize given to those exemplifying the ideal of service to others.

Among her activities at Duke were the chapel choir, Chanticleer (yearbook) business staff, freshman advisory council, the Order of the White Duchy (a local honorary society for outstanding women student leaders, a female counterpart of the Order of the Red Friars), Phi Kappa Delta (a local leadership honorary for senior women), and Pi Sigma Alpha (a national political-science honorary society). Dole is a sister of Delta Delta Delta.[4] She was also elected president of the woman's student government association, 1958 May queen, and "leader of the year" by the student newspaper, The Chronicle. Dole has remained involved with Duke University, serving at various points in time as president of the Duke University alumnae association, and a member of the board of trustees and board of visitors.[5] She has spoken formally at Duke several times.

Following her graduation from Duke, she did her post-graduate work at Oxford in 1959. After Oxford, she took a job as a student teacher at Melrose High School in Melrose, Massachusetts, for the 1959–1960 school year.[6] While teaching, she also pursued her master's degree in education from Harvard University, which she earned in 1960, followed by a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1965.[7] At graduation, she was one of 24 women in a class of 550 students.[8] She is an alumna of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.

White House years

Johnson administration

Dole, who had campaigned for the

Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in the Lyndon B. Johnson administration.[10]

Nixon and Ford administrations

When many Democrats left the White House following Richard Nixon's replacement of Johnson, Dole did not. From 1969 to 1973, she served as deputy assistant to President Nixon for consumer affairs.[11] In 1973, Nixon appointed her to a seven-year term on the Federal Trade Commission.[7]

Elizabeth Dole with friend and mentor Virginia Knauer

Dole first met her future husband, Bob Dole, in the spring of 1972 at a meeting arranged by her boss and mentor, Virginia Knauer.[12] The couple dated, and she became his second wife on December 6, 1975, in the Washington National Cathedral.[13] They had no children, though she is stepmother to Bob's adult daughter Robin from his first marriage of 24 years, which ended in divorce in 1972. She attended individually, and later with her husband, the Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C., before joining the National Presbyterian Church in 1996.[13] Articles at the time reported that the Doles stopped attending Foundry in 1995, finding the pastor at the time, J. Philip Wogaman, too liberal.[14]

In 1975, she became a Republican. She took a leave from her post as a Federal Trade Commissioner for several months in 1976 to campaign for her husband for vice president of the United States, when he ran on the Republican ticket with

United States Constitution.[15]

Reagan administration and Secretary of Transportation

She served as director of the

United States military, as the United States Coast Guard was under the Department of Transportation at the time. Dole's appointment was "particularly irritating" to conservative activists, since "though at least nominally opposed to abortion, [she was] viewed by the right as [an] aggressive feminist."[16]

The official Department of Labor portrait of Elizabeth Dole
First Lady Nancy Reagan greets Dole and other Senate wives in the Blue Room. 1988

During her tenure, the

drug testing within the Department of Transportation. By 1984 Dole had stopped trying to get Reagan to support the Equal Rights Amendment. She was quoted in the press that year saying, "He's not going to change on that."[18]

Bush administration and Secretary of Labor

Dole served as United States Secretary of Labor from 1989 to 1990 under George H. W. Bush; she is the first woman to serve in two different Cabinet positions in the administrations of two presidents. Her tenure as both U.S. Transportation Secretary and U.S. Labor Secretary focused heavily on improving public safety and workplace safety and health.[citation needed]

American Red Cross presidency

In 1991, Dole became the president of the American Red Cross.[19] She served until 1999. She was the second woman to serve as president since Clara Barton founded the organization in 1881. She restructured the world's largest humanitarian organization during her eight years as president, serving as a volunteer in her first year. She also led a transformation of the way the Red Cross collects, tests, and distributes one-half of the nation's blood supply.[20]

1996 Republican National Convention

Dole's husband

Second Lady of the United States, had Gerald Ford won the 1976 election, received recognition for her speech at the 1996 Republican National Convention, during which she walked out into the audience while talking conversationally about her husband's qualities.[citation needed
]

2000 United States presidential candidacy

Dole's presidential campaign logo

Elizabeth Dole ran for the Republican nomination in the 2000 United States presidential election.

Speculation of a presidential campaign became widespread after Dole announced her departure from her job as president of the Red Cross on January 4, 1999.[21]

Dole announced she was forming an exploratory committee on March 10, 1999.[22]

While Dole had been an active participant in her husband's campaign four years prior, he was largely absent from the campaign trail during her campaign.[23][24]

In August, Dole placed third – behind

Iowa Straw Poll (the first, non-binding, test of electability for the Republican Party nomination). The Iowa Straw Poll differed from the national polls where she was second only to Bush; Senator John McCain was in third place.[citation needed
]

Dole withdrew from race in October 1999 before any of the

Gallup poll had her in second place in the presidential race at 11% behind George W. Bush at 60% as late as October 1999.[25]

2000 vice presidential vetting

Shortly before the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, Bush campaign sources said Elizabeth Dole was on the short list to be named the vice-presidential nominee, along with Michigan Governor John Engler, New York Governor George Pataki, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, and former Missouri Senator John Danforth.[26] Many pundits believed that Dole was the frontrunner for the vice presidential nomination. Bush then surprised most pundits by selecting former U.S. Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, who was actually in charge of leading Bush's search for a vice presidential nominee.[citation needed]

United States Senate career

Campaigns

In late December 2001, Dole shifted her official residency from the Doles' condominium in the

Democratic opponent Erskine Bowles, a former chief of staff to former President Bill Clinton
, by an eight-point margin.

Her election to the Senate marked the first time a spouse of a former Senator was elected to the Senate from a different state from that of her spouse. (Although

Nancy Landon Kassebaum married former Tennessee Senator Howard Baker, the marriage occurred after Kassebaum and Baker both had finished their service in the Senate.) Dole was criticized by Democrats (including then-North Carolina Senator John Edwards and her challenger, Erskine Bowles
) during her first Senate campaign over the fact that for over 40 years prior to her nomination, she had not lived in North Carolina.

In November 2004, following Republican gains in the United States Senate, Dole narrowly edged out Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota for the post of chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. She is the first woman to become chair of the NRSC. During her election cycle as chairperson, her Democratic Party counterpart, Senator Chuck Schumer raised significantly more money, and experienced more success in recruiting candidates. In the November election, Dole's party lost six U.S. Senate seats to the Democrats, thus losing control of the U.S. Senate. Dole was replaced as NRSC chair by Senator John Ensign of Nevada following the 2006 midterms.

2008 Senate re-election campaign

Dole was initially a heavy favorite for re-election, especially after several potential top-tier challengers such as Congressman

527 groups lobbying/advertising against Dole,[30] as well as the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, which spent more money in North Carolina than in any other state during the 2008 election season.[30] Dole undertook an eight-day "ElizaBus" tour of the state in the days leading up to election day.[32]

In late October, Dole released a controversial television ad attacking Hagan for reportedly taking donations from individuals involved in the

libel.[35][36] The ad met significant criticism from some members of the public as well as national media outlets. After the first ad Hagan received over 3,600 contributions, including major donors as well as individual support from a range of persons who believed in the right to participate in civil government free of religious orthodoxy requirements. Following the second ad Hagan's lead doubled according to some polls.[37]

In the 2008 election, Dole lost by a wider-than-expected margin, taking 44 percent of the vote to Hagan's 53 percent. It has been speculated that the outcry over the "Godless" ad contributed to Dole's loss.[38] Hagan trounced Dole in the state's five largest counties – Mecklenburg, Wake, Guilford, Forsyth and Durham. Hagan also dominated most of the eastern portion of the state, which had been the backbone of Helms' past Senate victories. While Dole dominated the Charlotte suburbs and most of the heavily Republican Foothills region, it was not enough to save her seat.

Political positions

Dole's voting record was somewhat more conservative than that of her husband, though slightly less conservative than that of Helms. She has a lifetime rating of 92 from the American Conservative Union.[citation needed]

Dole worked with other senators such as Chuck Hagel to draft and attempt to pass legislation reforming housing financing regulation; the bill did not go up for a vote.[39]

In September 2008, Dole joined the

Gang of 20, a bipartisan group working towards comprehensive energy reform, which pushed for a bill that would encourage state-by-state decisions on offshore drilling and authorize billions of dollars for conservation and alternative energy.[40]

As a member of the

U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, Dole is credited with helping to prevent any closures of North Carolina military bases despite threats from the Department of Defense.[41] In 2007, she sponsored legislation which would have granted federal recognition of a North Carolina Native American tribe, the Lumbee based in Robeson County.[42]

Committee assignments

Dole was a member of the following U.S. Senate committees:

After politics: Elizabeth Dole Foundation

Dole with Nancy Pelosi and John McCain at a 2014 meeting of the congressional "Hidden Heroes Caucus"

In 2012, Dole established the Elizabeth Dole Foundation,[43] dedicated to helping caregivers of "wounded warriors".[44]

Dole commissioned the RAND Corporation to develop the first nationwide comprehensive, evidence-based report on the needs of military and veteran caregivers.[45] The two-year study includes an environmental scan of available services, a gap analysis, and recommendations for meeting the enormous challenges of America's hidden helpers – the young spouses, mothers, fathers and other loved ones caring for those who cared for us. The study was generously supported by the Wounded Warrior Project, the Lilly Endowment, and the Cannon Foundation.[46]

The foundation selects military and veteran caregivers from each state to serve a two-year Fellowship with the foundation. The Dole Fellows represent a vast array of military caregivers: spouses, parents, siblings and friends, and use their voice to help bring awareness on a national scale.[47] The foundation also has a National Coalition Program to bring together private and public entities to create substantial change.[48] in 2022 the foundation selected and began working with the civil rights icon and veteran Bobby Grier.[49][50]

Actor Tom Hanks joined the foundation's Hidden Heroes Campaign to bring awareness to the over 5.5 million military caregivers across America who are facing enormous challenges every day caring for members of the military and gravely injured veterans.[51]

Books

Author

  • Dole, Bob & Elizabeth with Richard Norton Smith (1988). The Doles: Unlimited Partners. Simon & Schuster.
  • Dole, Elizabeth (2004) Hearts Touched by Fire: My 500 Most Inspirational Quotations. Carroll & Graf.

Subject

Charity work

Dole accepted no salary from the Red Cross during her first year as president of the organization.[53]

Dole is an honorary board member of the humanitarian organization Wings of Hope.[54]

Awards

In 1995, Dole was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.[55]

In 1999, Dole received the S. Roger Horchow Award for Greatest Public Service by a Private Citizen, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards.[56]

In 2014, Dole was inducted into Indiana Wesleyan University's Society of World Changers for her humanitarian public service efforts.[57]

In July 2018, Dole was honored with the 4th annual Leo K. Thorsness Leadership Award. Named after the Medal of Honor recipient, the award recognizes outstanding service to veteran communities.[58][59]

In September 2023, Dole was awarded the United States Military Academies highest civilian award, the Sylvanus Thayer Award. Named after the father of the academy, the award recognizes outstanding selfless service to the nation.

Electoral history

North Carolina U.S. Senate election, 2002[60]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Elizabeth Dole 1,248,664 53.56 +0.92
Democratic Erskine Bowles 1,047,983 44.96 -0.96
Libertarian Sean Haugh 33,807 1.45 +0.46
write-in Paul DeLaney 727 0.03 +0.02
Majority 200,681 8.6 +1.88
Turnout 2,331,181
Republican hold
North Carolina U.S. Senate Republican primary election, 2008[61]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Elizabeth Dole (incumbent) 460,665 90.0
Republican Pete DiLauro 51,406 10.0
Turnout 512,071
North Carolina U.S. Senate election, 2008[62]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Kay Hagan 2,249,311 52.65 +7.7
Republican Elizabeth Dole (incumbent) 1,887,510 44.18 -9.4
Libertarian Chris Cole 133,430 3.12 +1.6
Other write-ins 1,719 0.0 0
Majority 361,801 8.47
Turnout 4,271,970
Republican
Swing

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Mary Ella Cathey Hanford, "Asbury and Hanford Families: Newly Discovered Genealogical Information" The Historical Trail 33 (1996), pp. 44–45, 49.
  2. ^ "Ancestry of Elizabeth Dole (b. 1936)". Wargs.com. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  3. ^ Duke University Archives. The Registrar's statistics for Fall 1957 show that 25 men and 12 women seniors were majoring in political science. In the 1958 Commencement Program, hers is the only name listed for departmental honors.
  4. ^ "Distinguished Deltas". Delta Delta Delta. Retrieved March 25, 2010
  5. ^ "Elizabeth Dole at Duke University". Duke University Archives. Archived from the original on January 11, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  6. ^ Leonard, Mary (September 21, 1999). "Dole Returns to Melrose Classroom". The Boston Globe. Retrieved January 8, 2009.
  7. ^
    ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  8. ^ "DOLE, Elizabeth Hanford - US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov.
  9. ^ "Elizabeth Dole | Distinguished Service Medal | The American Legion". www.legion.org. The American Legion. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  10. ^ "DOLE, Elizabeth Hanford | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. United States House of Representatives. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  11. ^ "Dole to Give HBS Class Day Speech | News | The Harvard Crimson". www.thecrimson.com. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  12. ^ "Elizabeth Dole". CNN. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
  13. ^ a b Elizabeth Hanford Dole, "For Such a Time As This: A Personal Statement of Faith" The Historical Trail 33 (1996) p. 26
  14. ^ "Moscow-Pullman Daily News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
  15. ^ "History Day - Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)". Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections. April 17, 2013. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  16. ^ Kornacki, Steve. "Liberals are not uniquely "unreasonable"". Salon. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
  17. ^ "The 'L' Word". Newsweek. March 17, 1996. Archived from the original on May 1, 2009. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  18. ^ "CAMPAIGN NOTES; Elizabeth Dole Suspends Push for Rights Measure". The New York Times. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  19. ^ "Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections". dolearchives.ku.edu. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  20. ^ "Senator Elizabeth Dole". elizabethdolefoundation.org. Archived from the original on October 30, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  21. ^ Balz, Dan (January 4, 1999). "Elizabeth Dole Set to Leave Red Cross". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  22. ^ "Dole announces presidential exploratory committee - March 10, 1999". CNN. March 10, 1999. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  23. ^ West, Paul (October 21, 1999). "Elizabeth Dole drops presidential campaign". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 29, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ "ELECTION 2000: Elizabeth Dole: What killed her campaign?". products.kitsapsun.com. Kitsap Sun. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  25. ^ "Cain Surges, Nearly Ties Romney for Lead in GOP Preferences". Gallup.com. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
  26. The Washington Monthly. Archived from the original
    on March 5, 2000.
  27. ^ "Elizabeth Dole FEC Filing and Deed" (PDF). Pam's House Blend. December 26, 2001. Retrieved August 1, 2008.[permanent dead link]
  28. ^ "Elizabeth Dole Gives Hint of Senate Race". The New York Times. August 24, 2001. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
  29. ^ "Winston-Salem Journal - Democrats are scouting candidates to beat Dole". September 27, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  30. ^ a b c "Is the Southern Strategy Dead?". American Prospect. October 24, 2008. Archived from the original on August 10, 2011. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
  31. ^ "Scrambling the red states". The Economist. October 23, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
  32. ^ "Dole, Hagan finishing pitch to voters". Raleigh News & Observer. November 2, 2008. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved November 24, 2008.
  33. ^ Brown, Campbell. Commentary: Mudslinging to get elected. CNN. October 29, 2008.
  34. ^ KayHagan.com. Kay on Dole Ad Attacking Her Christian Faith: A Fabricated, Pathetic Ad Archived May 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. October 30, 2008.
  35. ^ Dole Sued for 'Godless' Attack Ad Archived January 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, ABC News. October 30, 2008.
  36. ^ Dole challenger irate over suggestion she is 'godless'⁠. CNN. October 30, 2008.
  37. The Miami Herald. November 11, 2008. Retrieved November 18, 2008. [dead link
    ]
  38. The Miami Herald
    . Retrieved January 22, 2009.
  39. ^ "Watt and Cobb battle for 12th District seat". Davidson County Dispatch. October 16, 2008. Archived from the original on December 25, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  40. ^ "Klobuchar joins bipartisan energy group". Star Tribune. September 12, 2008. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  41. Independent Weekly. October 15, 2008. Archived from the original
    on November 23, 2008. Retrieved November 25, 2008.
  42. Daily Tarheel. November 25, 2008. Archived from the original
    on April 8, 2009. Retrieved November 26, 2008.
  43. ^ "The Elizabeth Dole Foundation". The Elizabeth Dole Foundation.
  44. ^ "Newly established Elizabeth Dole Foundation to help 'hidden heroes'". Salisbury Post. March 9, 2013. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014.
  45. ^ Ramchand, Rajeev; Tanielian, Terri; Fisher, Michael P.; Vaughan, Christine Anne; Trail, Thomas E.; Batka, Caroline; Voorhies, Phoenix; Robbins, Michael W.; Robinson, Eric; Ghosh-Dastidar, Bonnie (December 26, 2017). "Hidden Heroes: America's Military Caregivers". Retrieved August 3, 2018. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  46. ^ "Landmark Research - The Elizabeth Dole Foundation". Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  47. ^ "Dole Caregiver Fellows - The Elizabeth Dole Foundation". Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  48. ^ "Hidden Heroes - The Elizabeth Dole Foundation". Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  49. ^ "Robert Grier". February 11, 2018.
  50. ^ "Neighbor Spotlight: Wexford man's family featured in film chronicling sandwich generation of caregivers". July 2021.
  51. ^ "Hidden Heroes - The Elizabeth Dole Foundation". Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  52. ^ Kolbert, Elizabeth (November 3, 1996). "Memoirs without Revelations". The New York Times. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
  53. ^ "Women in Congress - Elizabeth Dole, Senator from North Carolina". Archived from the original on November 3, 2010. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  54. ^ ".: The Official Wings Of Hope Homepage". Wings-of-hope.org. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  55. ^ "Dole, Elizabeth Hanford". National Women’s Hall of Fame.
  56. ^ "National - Jefferson Awards Foundation". Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  57. ^ "Dole - World Changers - About - Indiana Wesleyan University". www.indwes.edu.
  58. ^ "Elizabeth Dole to receive award named for Medal of Honor recipient Leo K. Thorsness". Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  59. ^ "America's Warrior Partnership Honors Former U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole With Fourth Annual Leo Thorsness Leadership Award – Veterans News Report". July 31, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  60. ^ "Breaking News". CNN.
  61. ^ "NC State Board of Elections website". Results.enr.clarityelections.com. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  62. ^ "NC State Board of Elections website". Results.enr.clarityelections.com. November 14, 2008. Retrieved June 17, 2010.

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Director of the Office of Public Liaison

1981–1983
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Andrew Lewis
United States Secretary of Transportation
1983–1987
Succeeded by
Preceded by United States Secretary of Labor
1989–1990
Succeeded by
Lynn Martin
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by President of the American Red Cross
1991–1999
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by
U.S. Senator from North Carolina
(Class 2)

2002, 2008
Succeeded by
Preceded by
George Allen
Chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee
2005–2007
Succeeded by
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. Senator (Class 2) from North Carolina
2003–2009
Served alongside: John Edwards, Richard Burr
Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Cabinet Member Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Cabinet Member
Succeeded byas Former US Cabinet Member