Barbara B. Kennelly
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| First woman from Connecticut to be elected to eight terms in Congress (1982 - 1999); first woman in American history to serve as a Deputy Majority Whip and to serve on the House Intelligence Committee.
Barbara B. Kennelly now serves as President of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare. The City of Hartford recently renamed their post office the Barbara B. Kennelly Post Office Building in her honor. Democratic Congresswoman Kennelly was the third woman in history to be elected to the 200-year-old House Ways and Means Committee. She has served as a member of the House Budget Committee and The House Committee on Administration. Representative Kennelly served six years on the House Intelligence Committee and was the first woman to chair one of its subcommittees. In August of 1991, Congresswoman Kennelly was appointed as one of three (now four) Chief Deputy Majority Whips, the first ever from Connecticut . She was the highest ranking woman member in the history of the House. In addition to her leadership and committee responsibilities, she is a member of many other influential groups, among them the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, which promotes issues of particular importance to women. Before her election to Congress, Barbara Kennelly was Secretary of the State of Connecticut from 1979 to 1982, and a member of the Hartford Court of Common Council from 1975 to 1979. Prior to entering elected office, Congresswoman Kennelly was active in civic, political and governmental organizations in the Hartford area. Born into a politically active family, Barbara was raised and currently resides in Hartford , Connecticut . Her late husband, James J. Kennelly, worked as an attorney and served as a Connecticut State Representative and Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives. She has three daughters and a son. | |||||||||
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