Cardiss Collins | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's7th district | |
| In office June 5, 1973 – January 3, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Frank Annunzio |
| Succeeded by | Danny Davis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cardiss Hortense Robertson (1931-09-24)September 24, 1931 St. Louis,Missouri,U.S. |
| Died | February 3, 2013(2013-02-03) (aged 81) Alexandria,Virginia,U.S. |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Education | Northwestern University |
Cardiss Hortense Collins (née Robertson; September 24, 1931 – February 3, 2013) was an American politician fromIllinois who served in theUnited States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1997. A member of theDemocratic Party, she was the fourthAfrican-American woman in Congress and the first to represent theMidwest.[1] Collins was elected to Congress in the June 5, 1973 special election to replace her husband,George, who had died in the December 8, 1972United Airlines Flight 553 plane crash a month after being elected to a second term.[2] The seat had been renumbered and combined from the 6th district to the 7th, and had been redrawn to includethe Loop. She had previously worked as an accountant in various state government positions.[2]
Throughout her political career, she was a champion for women's health and welfare issues. In 1975, she was instrumental in prompting the Social Security Administration to revise Medicare regulations to cover the cost of post-mastectomy breast prosthesis, which before then had been considered cosmetic.[3] In 1979, she was elected as chairwoman of theCongressional Black Caucus, a position she used to become an occasional critic of PresidentJimmy Carter.[4] She later became the caucus vice chairman. In the 1980s, Collins warded off two primary challenges from AldermanDanny K. Davis,[5] who would finally be elected to replace her after she chose not to seek reelection in 1996.[6] In 1990, Collins, along with 15 other African-American women and men, formed theAfrican-American Women for Reproductive Freedom.[7]
In 1991, Collins was named chair of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Competitiveness. Her legislative interests were focused on establishinguniversal health insurance, providing forgender equity in college sports, and reforming federalchild care facilities.[8] Collins gained a brief national prominence in 1993 as the chairwoman of a congressional committee investigating college sports and as a critic of theNCAA.[9] She also engaged in an intense debate with Rep.Henry Hyde overMedicaid funding ofabortion that year.[10]
During her last term (1995–1997), she served as ranking member of theGovernment Reform and Oversight Committee.[11]
Collins did not seek re-election in 1996, citing her age. At the time of her retirement, she was the longest-serving Black female member of Congress.[11] In 2004, she was selected byNielsen Media Research to head a task force examining the representation ofAfrican Americans in TV rating samples. Collins lived inAlexandria, Virginia at the time of her death on February 3, 2013, at the age of 81.[12][13] TheUnited States Postal Service's Cardiss Collins Processing and Distribution Center, located at 433 W. Harrison St. inChicago, Illinois, is named in her honor and was completed in 1996 to replace the old Main Post Office across the street on Van Buren Street.[14]
Dobson, Frank E.; Dobson, Jasmin (2023) A Leader with Courage: The Impact of Congresswoman Cardiss Collins: Maitland, FL: Mill City Press. 978-1662882869.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIllinois's 7th congressional district 1973–1997 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theCongressional Black Caucus 1979–1981 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theHouse Oversight Committee 1995–1997 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
