Chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee
In office January 3, 2005 – January 3, 2007
Leader
Bill Frist
Preceded by
George Allen
Succeeded by
John Ensign
20th United States Secretary of Labor
In office January 25, 1989 – November 23, 1990
President
George H. W. Bush
Preceded by
Ann McLaughlin Korologos
Succeeded by
Lynn Morley Martin
8th United States Secretary of Transportation
In office February 7, 1983 – September 30, 1987
President
Ronald Reagan
Preceded by
Drew Lewis
Succeeded by
James H. Burnley IV
Director of the Office of Public Liaison
In office January 20, 1981 – February 7, 1983
President
Ronald Reagan
Preceded by
Anne Wexler
Succeeded by
Faith Whittlesey
Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission
In office December 4, 1973 – March 9, 1979
Appointed by
Richard Nixon
Preceded by
Mary Gardiner Jones
Succeeded by
Patricia Bailey
Personal details
Born
Mary Elizabeth Alexander Hanford
(1936-07-29) July 29, 1936 (age 87) Salisbury, North Carolina, U.S.
Political party
Republican (1975–present)
Other political affiliations
Democratic (before 1975)
Spouse
Bob Dole
(m. 1975; died 2021)
Education
Duke University (BA) Harvard University (MEd, JD)
Signature
Elizabeth Dole's voice
Dole gives opening remarks at a Senate Aging Committee hearing on Medicare drug benefit implementation Recorded February 2, 2006
Mary Elizabeth Alexander Dole (née Hanford; born July 29, 1936)[1] is an American attorney, author, and politician
who served as a United States Senator from North Carolina from 2003 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served in five presidential administrations, including as U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President Ronald Reagan from 1983 to 1987 and as U.S. Secretary of Labor under Reagan's successor, George H. W. Bush, from 1989 until 1990. Dole then left government to serve as president of the American Red Cross from 1991 to 1999; she departed from that position to seek the Republican nomination in the 2000 presidential election but eventually withdrew from the race.
Dole graduated from Duke University in 1958 and earned a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School in 1965. Throughout her public career, she was the first woman to hold a number of positions, including secretary of transportation, becoming the first woman to serve in two different presidential cabinet positions for two presidents after being appointed secretary of labor, as well as the first female U.S. senator from North Carolina and chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. She was also the third female secretary of labor and just the second woman to lead the American Red Cross since its founder, Clara Barton. She is the widow of U.S. Senator Bob Dole from Kansas, who served as the Republican Senate leader and was the party's presidential nominee in the 1996 election and vice presidential nominee in the 1976 election.
^Mary Ella Cathey Hanford, "Asbury and Hanford Families: Newly Discovered Genealogical Information" The Historical Trail 33 (1996), pp. 44–45, 49.
Mary Elizabeth Alexander Dole (née Hanford; born July 29, 1936) is an American attorney, author, and politician who served as a United States Senator from...
Bird. Dole was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on January 17, 2018. He was married to former U.S. Senator ElizabethDole of North Carolina. Dole was...
and statewide judicial elections. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator ElizabethDole ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by Kay Hagan...
the North Carolina Senate from 1999 to 2009. By defeating Republican ElizabethDole in the 2008 election, she became the first woman to defeat an incumbent...
in August 2001 that he would retire due to health issues. Republican ElizabethDole won the open seat, becoming the first non-incumbent elected Republican...
completed on 11 April 2001. She was formally named by American politician ElizabethDole in Miami on 27 April 2001. Previously in the northern fall and winter...
Development Corporation. She also serves on the advisory board of the ElizabethDole Foundation. In addition, Barber continues to serve as an American Red...
secretary of transportation ElizabethDole (wife of presidential nominee Bob Dole) Robin Dole (daughter of presidential nominee Bob Dole) Senator Ben Nighthorse...
George McGovern – Redwood Jimmy Carter – Dasher or Deacon Bob Dole – Ramrod ElizabethDole – Rainbow Morris Udall – Dashboard John B. Anderson – Miracle...
including Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton, Kitty Dukakis, Betty Ford, and ElizabethDole, and did notable impressions of Bette Davis, Sinéad O'Connor, Tammy...
January 8, 2003, they met when John Edwards accompanied then-Senator ElizabethDole to her swearing-in while Cheney was President of the Senate. Kerry's...
former senator ElizabethDole (R-NC), was married to former Senate Majority Leader and 1996 Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole and served as Secretary...
Hanks serves as campaign chair of the Hidden Heroes Campaign of the ElizabethDole Foundation. The stated mission of the campaign is to inspire a national...
included celebrity impressions of, among others, Rachael Ray, ElizabethDole, Elizabeth Taylor, Ginnifer Goodwin, Katy Perry, and Jennifer Aniston, as...
Pearce taking 39%. In North Carolina, there had been rumors that senator ElizabethDole would retire from the Senate and run for governor, but she said in 2006...
Governor Lamar Alexander, former Red Cross director and cabinet member ElizabethDole, Ohio Congressman John Kasich, and former Vice President Dan Quayle...
endorsements sufficient to remain competitive with Bush. These included ElizabethDole, Dan Quayle, Lamar Alexander, and Bob Smith. Pat Buchanan dropped out...
during the presidency of George W. Bush. Whatley was chief of staff for ElizabethDole when she served in the U.S. Senate. He was an executive vice president...
registered Republican for most of her life, and a strong supporter of ElizabethDole. In 2000, she changed her affiliation to the Democratic Party and endorsed...
Lyndon B. Johnson. Ronald Reagan's second secretary of transportation, ElizabethDole, was the first female holder, and Mary Peters was the second. Gerald...
Pierce (1981–1989) Secretary of Transportation Drew Lewis (1981–1983) ElizabethDole (1983–1987) James H. Burnley IV (1987–1989) Secretary of Energy James...
Republican Jesse Helms decided to retire due to health issues. Republican ElizabethDole won the open seat over Democrat Erskine Bowles, former White House Chief...
Global Information
