The Burns Library and BC Law will be co-sponsoring a talk and signing by the author Kim Heckler on her new biography titled, A Woman of Firsts: Margaret Heckler, Political Trailblazer.
Heckler ’56, one of the first female graduates of BC Law, was also the first woman to serve in three high-level positions: in Congress, in a presidential Cabinet, and as a US ambassador—all groundbreaking achievements for a woman of her era. Burns Library is the repository for her archives.
A Woman of Firsts offers a rare view into the behind-the-scenes world of American politics from the 1960s through the 1980s, and serves as a tribute to a woman who helped break the glass ceiling and fought to provide equality and justice for millions of Americans. Sandra Day O’Connor praised Heckler, who played a key role in advocating for O’Connor’s appointment as the first female Supreme Court justice, saying, “Margaret Heckler has always been a champion of women. She’s a woman everyone should know about.”
Heckler championed important laws expanding access and rights for women and for the rights of other groups historically excluded from power. Her landmark legislation, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, gave women the right to credit in their own names for the first time in American history. As President Reagan’s Health and Human Services Secretary, Heckler was one of the most powerful women in America. She took the lead in addressing the AIDS crisis and commissioned the Heckler Report to address racial inequities in health care.
The event will take place on April 15, 2025 at 5:00 pm in the Burns Library on Boston College’s Chestnut Hill campus. Light refreshments will be served following Heckler’s talk and copies of A Woman of Firsts will be available for sale and signing. This event is free, and all are welcome to attend.
More information can be found on the event site.