Olga A. Méndez

Olga A. Méndez (February 5, 1925 — July 29, 2009) was the first Puerto Rican woman elected to a state legislature in the United States mainland.

Early years

Olga Méndez was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico in 1925. In 1950, she graduated from the Universidad de Puerto Rico with a Bachelor's Degree. In 1960 she earned her Master's Degree in Psychology from the Teacher's College at Columbia University. In 1975, she defended her Doctoral Dissertation in Educational Psychology and received her Ph.D from Yeshiva University.

Méndez married into a respected East Harlem political family. Her father-in-law, Tony Méndez was the first Puerto Rican district leader in Manhattan. She became involved in the fight for better government through her family members and became an active leader in the area of voter registration drives throughout the nation.

Political career

In 1972, Olga Méndez was elected as a New York Delegate, committed to Senator George McGovern at the Democratic National Convention. In 1974, she was elected to the "National Conference of Women" in Houston, Texas.

In 1978, she was elected Senator to the New York State Legislature, thus becoming the first Puerto Rican woman New York Senator. She represented the 28th Senate District and held this position for 26 years. Méndez was elected Delegate for the Democratic Conventions of 1980, 1984 and 1988. In 1984, she was elected Secretary of the Minority Conference. In 1993, Méndez became the first Puerto Rican woman to be chosen Chairperson of the Minority Conference. At times Méndez offered her political support to Republicans when doing so would have been beneficial to her district. She was often criticized by her peers for this bi-partisanship.

Later years and death

In December 2002, Méndez left the Democratic Party and joined the Republican Party, a move which made re-election very tenuous. On November 4, 2004, Méndez was defeated by José M. Serrano, son of U.S. Congressman José Serrano. During her final six months in office she served as the Chairwoman of the Senate Labor Committee.

Méndez was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 and underwent surgery. She said that she shared her story in order to educate others.^{[citation needed]} She succumbed after a 16 years long battle, passing away at her East Harlem apartment on July 29, 2009, aged 84.

New York City's Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, an Independent, who was both a former Democrat and a former Republican, credited Méndez with impressing upon him the "importance of reaching across partisan lines to do what's right for your constituents". Bloomberg stated the following:

"That's a lesson I carry with me every day, and one that's informed our administration's approach to everything we do, including the issues Olga focused on most acutely: educating our children, creating jobs, supporting small businesses, and developing affordable housing ... [D]iagnosed with cancer in the early 1990s, Olga didn't recoil from public life or attempt to hide her condition. Instead, she shared her story and her struggle with others. But Olga's legacy will live on with all New Yorkers who benefitted from this incomparable woman, who courageously broke barriers and overcame obstacles in her way."

Legacy

Among the many awards and recognitions which Méndez was awarded were the following:

• the Operation Push National Citizenship Award,
• Effective Leadership Golden Age Award
• Hunter College Presidential Medal of Honor

She was also named to the Civil Liberties Honor Roll. A public housing building which bears her name was constructed in Spanish Harlem in Manhattan.

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans

External links

• New York Times coverage of Méndez
• New York Times obituary with correct date of birth

New York State Senate
Preceded by Robert Garcia	New York State Senate, 30th District 1978–1992	Succeeded by Franz Leichter
Preceded by Franz Leichter	New York State Senate, 28th District 1993–2004	Succeeded by José M. Serrano
Political offices
Preceded by Guy Velella	Chairwoman of the New York State Senate Labor Committee June 2004 – January 2005	Succeeded by George D. Maziarz