Join us for a special evening featuring a lecture by Kimberly Heckler, author of A Woman of Firsts: Margaret Heckler, Political Trailblazer, followed by a conversation with host, Debra Principi. Ticket includes book and glass of champagne.
Presented by Bluepoint Hospitality and Flying Cloud Booksellers
Doors Open 4:30 PM
5 PM Champagne Reception
5:30 - 6:30 PM Author Lecture and Conversation with Kimberly Heckler and Debra Principi / Q&A
About the Book:
For much of the 1970s and 1980s, Margaret Heckler was one of the most powerful women in the country. During those years, the groundbreaking Heckler served eight terms in Congress; was President Reagan’s Secretary of Health and Human Services; and returned to her parents’ homeland as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, the first woman in American History to earn a “triple crown” in politics.
Heckler’s story reveals more than just political accomplishments—it explores the personal struggles that shaped her. Given away at birth by Irish immigrant parents during the Great Depression, Heckler channeled hardship into a stunning rise becoming one of only 12 women in Congress in 1967.
A Woman of Firsts: Margaret Heckler, Political Trailblazer offers a rare view into the behind-the scenes world of American politics and details the experiences of a woman who successfully broke the glass ceiling by entering rooms that had always been dominated by men. At a time when many women entered public office by succeeding their deceased husbands, Heckler made her own way. Her landmark legislation, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, gave women the right to credit and credit cards in their own names for the first time in 1974. Her career spanned five presidencies: Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan.
This extensively researched and compelling new biography reveals how Heckler’s courage, bipartisanship, and unshakeable faith turned obstacles into opportunity—leaving a legacy of accomplishments that impact our lives today.
About the Author:
Kimberly Heckler is a writer and public speaker and the daughter-in-law of Margaret Heckler. She has been featured on C-SPAN’s Book TV along with numerous television and radio programs. She is also a member of the Library of Congress Women's History and Gender Studies Group and The Authors Guild. Kimberly has devoted more than ten years to researching Margaret’s story. She and her husband John split their time between Arlington, Virginia and Easton, Maryland. You can learn more about Kimberly and A Woman of Firsts: Margaret Heckler, Political Trailblazer at www.kimberlyheckler.com
