Barbara Kennelly | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus | |
| In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1999 | |
| Leader | Dick Gephardt |
| Preceded by | Vic Fazio |
| Succeeded by | Bob Menendez |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromConnecticut's1st district | |
| In office January 12, 1982 – January 3, 1999 | |
| Preceded by | Bill Cotter |
| Succeeded by | John Larson |
| 67thSecretary of State of Connecticut | |
| In office January 5, 1979 – January 12, 1982 | |
| Governor | Ella Grasso William O'Neill |
| Preceded by | Henry Cohn |
| Succeeded by | Maura L. Melley |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Barbara Ann Bailey (1936-07-10)July 10, 1936 (age 89) Hartford,Connecticut, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | James Kennelly |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Trinity Washington University (BA) Harvard University Trinity College (MA) |
Barbara Bailey Kennelly (bornBarbara Ann Bailey; July 10, 1936) is an American politician. She is a formerDemocratic member of theUnited States House of Representatives fromConnecticut.
Kennelly was born Barbara Ann Bailey inHartford, Connecticut on July 10, 1936.[1] Her father was long-time Democratic Party leaderJohn M. Bailey.
Kennelly studied at St. Joseph Cathedral School and graduated from Mount St. Joseph Academy in West Hartford in 1954. She earned a B.A. fromTrinity College in Washington, D.C. (now Trinity Washington University) in 1958 and a certificate from theHarvard-Radcliffe Program in Business Administration in 1959.[2] In 1971, she earned a master's degree fromTrinity College in Connecticut.[1]
Kennelly was married to the late James J. Kennelly, an attorney who served as Speaker of theConnecticut House of Representatives from 1975 to 1979.[3] She has three daughters, one son, and twelve grandchildren.
In 1975, Kennelly was elected to the Hartford Court of Common Council, a position she held until 1979. She served as theSecretary of the State of Connecticut from 1979 until 1982.[1]
Kennelly was elected to Congress in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death ofWilliam R. Cotter. She represented Connecticut'sFirst Congressional District in theUnited States House of Representatives for eight terms, from January 12, 1982, until January 3, 1999. During the 98th Congress, Kennelly was appointed to theWays and Means Committee. She served on the Subcommittees onHuman Resources andSelect Revenue Measures. Beginning in 1987, she served on thePermanent Select Committee on Intelligence. During the 103rd Congress, Kennelly becameVice-Chair of the Democratic Caucus.[1][4]
She did not seek re-election in1998, instead running forGovernor of Connecticut against andlosing toRepublican incumbentJohn G. Rowland by a landslide.[1]
In 1999, PresidentBill Clinton appointed her Associate Commissioner and Counselor to the Commissioner at theSocial Security Administration. She later worked at the law firmBaker & Hostetler.[4] From 2002 to 2011, she served as President of theNational Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.[5] In 2006,Nancy Pelosi appointed her to theSocial Security Advisory Board.[4] In 2011, Kennelly accepted a position at her alma mater, Trinity Washington University, as a distinguished professor of political science.[6]
As of 2015, Kennelly is a member of the board of theInternational Foundation for Electoral Systems, a non-profit that provides assistance with elections in many countries.[7] She is the president of theUnited States Association of Former Members of Congress.[4]
The Barbara B. Kennelly Post Office Building in Hartford is named in her honor.
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forSecretary of the State of Connecticut 1978 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Response to the State of the Union address 1983 Served alongside:Les AuCoin,Joe Biden,Bill Bradley,Robert Byrd,Tom Daschle,Bill Hefner,George Miller,Tip O'Neill,Paul Simon,Paul Tsongas,Tim Wirth | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Vice Chair of the House Democratic Conference 1995–1999 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Connecticut 1998 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Henry Cohn | Secretary of State of Connecticut 1979–1982 | Succeeded by Maura Melley |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromConnecticut's 1st congressional district 1982–1999 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
