Leonor Sullivan (original) (raw)

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American politician (1902–1988)

Leonor Sullivan
Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus
In officeJanuary 3, 1965 – January 3, 1975
Leader John McCormackCarl Albert
Preceded by Edna Kelly
Succeeded by Patsy Mink
In officeJanuary 3, 1959 – January 7, 1964
Leader Sam RayburnJohn McCormack
Preceded by Edna Kelly
Succeeded by Edna Kelly
Member of the U.S. House of Representativesfrom Missouri's 3rd district
In officeJanuary 3, 1953 – January 3, 1977
Preceded by Phil Welch
Succeeded by Dick Gephardt
Personal details
Born Leonor Kretzer(1902-08-21)August 21, 1902St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died September 1, 1988(1988-09-01) (aged 86)Sappington, Missouri, U.S.
Resting place Calvary Cemetery
Political party Democratic
Spouses John Sullivan ​ ​(m. 1941; died 1951)​ Russell Archibald ​(m. 1980)​
Education Washington University

Leonor Kretzer Sullivan (August 21, 1902 – September 1, 1988) was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Missouri. She was a Democrat and the first woman in Congress from Missouri.

Graves of John and Leonor Sullivan at Calvary Cemetery

Born Leonor Kretzer in St. Louis, Missouri, three of her grandparents were German immigrants.[1] Sullivan attended Washington University in St. Louis and was a teacher and director at St. Louis Comptometer school. She was married to John B. Sullivan, who served four terms in Congress, and she served as his administrative aide. Following her husband's death in 1951, she served as an aide to Congressman Leonard Irving until she left to run for Congress herself in 1952. She was re-elected eleven times. In Congress, she served for many years as Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus.

Sullivan helped create the food stamp program,[2] which was opposed by Agriculture Secretary Ezra Taft Benson and became law in the 1960s during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.

Sullivan did not sign the 1956 Southern Manifesto, and voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,[3] 1960,[4] 1964,[5] and 1968,[6] as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.[7][8]

Sullivan was one of very few members of Congress, and the only woman member of Congress, to vote against the Equal Rights Amendment for women in the early 1970s. Sullivan opposed abortion and called for the passage of the Human Life Amendment[9]

She did not seek re-election in 1976, and was succeeded by Dick Gephardt.

In 1979, the Supersisters trading card set was produced and distributed; one of the cards featured Sullivan's name and picture.[10]

She died at St. Anthony's Medical Center on September 1, 1988, and was buried at Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis.[11]

The former Wharf Street in front of the Gateway Arch in Downtown St. Louis was renamed Leonor K. Sullivan Boulevard in her honor.

  1. ^ "United States Census, 1920", FamilySearch, retrieved March 15, 2018
  2. ^ Taylor, B. Kimberly (2002). "Sullivan, Leonor Kretzer". Women in World History, Vol. 15: Sul-Vica. Waterford, CT: Yorkin Publications. pp. 4–5. ISBN 0-7876-4074-3.
  3. ^ "HR 6127. Civil Rights Act of 1957". GovTrack.us.
  4. ^ "HR 8601. Passage".
  5. ^ "H.R. 7152. Passage".
  6. ^ "To Pass H.R. 2516, a Bill to Establish Penalties for Interference with Civil Rights. Interference with a Person Engaged in One of the 8 Activities Protected Under This Bill Must be Racially Motivated to Incur the Bill's Penalties".
  7. ^ "S.J. Res. 29. Constitutional Amendment to Ban the Use of Poll Tax as a Requirement for Voting in Federal Elections". GovTrack.us.
  8. ^ "To Pass H.R. 6400, the 1965 Voting Rights Act".
  9. ^ McDonagh, Eileen L. (1996). Breaking the Abortion Deadlock: From Choice to Consent. p. 168.
  10. ^ Wulf, Steve (March 23, 2015). "Supersisters: Original Roster". Espn.go.com. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  11. ^ Mannies, Jo; Koenig, Robert L. (September 2, 1988). "Former Congresswoman Leonor Sullivan Dies at 86". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. 1, 16. Retrieved October 6, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded byPhil Welch Member of the U.S. House of Representativesfrom Missouri's 3rd congressional district 1953–1977 Succeeded byDick Gephardt
Preceded byEdward Garmatz Chairperson of the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee 1973–1977 Succeeded byJohn Murphy
Party political offices
Preceded byEdna Kelly Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus 1959–1964 Succeeded byEdna Kelly
Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus 1965–1975 Succeeded byPatsy Mink
Preceded byMike Mansfield Response to the State of the Union address 1972 Served alongside: Carl Albert, Lloyd Bentsen, Hale Boggs, John Brademas, Frank Church, Thomas Eagleton, Martha Griffiths, John Melcher, Ralph Metcalfe, William Proxmire VacantTitle next held by**Mike Mansfield**