Midge Costanza | |
|---|---|
 Costanza in 1977 | |
| Director of theOffice of Public Liaison | |
| In office January 20, 1977 – September 1, 1978 | |
| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | William Baroody |
| Succeeded by | Anne Wexler |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Margaret Costanza (1932-11-28)November 28, 1932 LeRoy,New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 23, 2010(2010-03-23) (aged 77) San Diego,California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
Margaret "Midge"Costanza (November 28, 1932 – March 23, 2010) was anAmericanpresidentialadvisor and asocial andpolitical activist. A lifelong champion ofgay andwomen's rights, she was known for her wit, outspoken manner, and commitment to her convictions.[1]
Costanza was born to Philip Costanza and Concetta Granata Costanza on November 28, 1932, inLeRoy, New York, and was raised inRochester. Her parents wereSicilian immigrantsausage-makers. Following various clerical jobs she took afterhigh school, Costanza became an administrative assistant for areal estate developer in Rochester, using this job to become active in several community organizations.[1]
Taking an interest in politics, Costanza volunteered onW. Averell Harriman's campaign for governor in 1954 and soon became theMonroe County, New York, executive director ofRobert F. Kennedy'sSenate campaign in 1964. She served as aDemocratic National Committee member from 1972 until 1977.
In 1973 she ran for an at-large seat on the Rochester city council, becoming Rochester's firstcouncilwoman in alandslide. The recipient of the largest votes traditionally was named mayor, however the council chose a man for the post, naming Costanza vice-mayor, a largely ceremonial position with little power.[1]
Costanza lost a race for theUnited States House of Representatives in 1974 to the popular Republican incumbent. In 1976 whenGeorgia GovernorJimmy Carter ran forPresident of the United States, Costanza served as co-chair of his New York campaign operation and gave a seconding speech for him at the Democratic National Convention (Carter had been a volunteer in Costanza's congressional campaign two years prior).[1]
Upon Carter's election Costanza was namedAssistant to the President for Public Liaison, moving into the office next door to theOval Office. Costanza was nicknamed "the President's window to the nation", consulting with a wide array of groups. While in the White House she was a supporter of theEqual Rights Amendment.[2] Costanza caused controversy when she invited fourteenNational Gay Task Force leaders andgay rights activists to theWhite House at the height ofAnita Bryant'shomophobic "Save Our Children" campaign.[1][3][4][5] Constanza did not disclose to some people that she was a lesbian nor datingJean O'Leary at the time. The two activists organized this gay activist conference in the White House on March 26, 1977.[6]
Costanza went on to arrange discussions between the NGTF co-directors and senior officials of the administration. Public disagreements with some of the president's policies caused controversy and saw Costanza's role in the White House diminished. As her successorAnne Wexler described it: "OPL under Costanza had functioned as an office providing responsiveness to interest groups, a form of White House case work, but had not taken enough initiative to enlist group support by building coalitions that would move the president’s program on Capitol Hill."[7] Affirming her support for Carter, she resigned from his administration effective September 1, 1978.[8][9]
Costanza had been popular withwomen's groups, and had earned herself aNewsweek cover titled "Woman in the White House".[10] Following her resignation many feminists were angered with Carter, feeling he had "fired" Costanza, on whom much pressure was put to quit.[11]
Costanza became executive director of her friendShirley MacLaine's "Higher Self" seminars after moving toLos Angeles and later became vice-president atAlan Landsburg Productions, where she made commercial films and advertisements. She served on many service group boards of directors, including theAIDS research organization Search Alliance and the National Gay Rights Advocates.[1]
Moving toSan Diego County, California, in 1990, Costanza coached candidates for office in public speaking, serving as the coordinator forBarbara Boxer's winningUnited States Senate in theYear of the Woman, 1992, and as manager forKathleen Brown's failed gubernatorial candidacy in 1994.Governor of CaliforniaGray Davis appointed Costanza as a liaison for women's groups and issues. Costanza lost that job when Gray Davis lost arecallreelection in November 2003.[1]
Costanza became a professor atSan Diego State University in 2004 and was working with thePolitical Science andWomen's Studies departments of San Diego State and the Political Science department of theUniversity of California, San Diego to develop the Midge Costanza Institute.[12] The Institute is mainly aimed at inspiring young people to become active in political and social causes.[1]
Midge Costanza was nominated and inducted into the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame in 2011 byWomen's Museum of California, Commission on the Status of Women,University of California, San Diego Women's Center, andSan Diego State University Women's Studies.
Costanza died ofcancer at Scripps Mercy Hospital inSan Diego, California, on March 23, 2010, at the age of 77.[13] She is survived by her brother Anthony.[14]
Midge Costanza was nominated and inducted into the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame in 2011 for the title of Trailblazer, meaning, women who have paved the way for other women, or were the first in their field. The annual Women's Hall of Fame induction is co-hosted byWomen's Museum of California (Located in San Diego), Commission on the Status of Women, UC San Diego Women's Center, and San Diego State Women's Studies.[15]
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Director of theOffice of Public Liaison 1977–1978 | Succeeded by |
Director of theOffice of Public Liaison | ||
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