Margaret Mary Heckler (née O’Shaughnessy) was born on June 21, 1931 in Flushing, New York to Irish immigrants. She graduated from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven in 1953 and met her husband, John M. Heckler, while running for Speaker of the House of the Connecticut Intercollegiate Student Legislature. John Heckler managed her campaign, which she won. Margaret Heckler then attended Boston College Law School, where she was the only woman to graduate in the class of 1956. She was admitted to the bar in Massachusetts and was admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 1962 Heckler was elected to the Massachusetts Governor’s Council, an advisory body to the governor, whose primary responsibility is to approve gubernatorial appointments, pardons, and commutations. In 1966, after two terms on the Governor’s Council, she chose to run for Congress against a 42-year veteran Congressman and former Speaker of the House, Joseph W. Martin, Jr. It was seen as a risky move by some members of her party, but Heckler defeated Martin to secure the Republican nomination. After winning the general election she was sworn in as only the eleventh woman in the 90th Congress, out of a total of 435 Representatives. Pursuing women’s rights legislation would become a hallmark of Heckler’s career in Congress. She was a staunch supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), fought for Social Security benefits for homemakers and widowed women, and championed affordable, safe child care for working mothers. She was also instrumental in passing the 1974 Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which prohibited discrimination in credit transactions on the basis of sex or marital status, and was a co-founder of the Congresswomen’s Caucus. A moderate Republican, Heckler often supported positions that went against the more conservative wing of her party.

In addition to her work on women’s issues, Heckler was a vocal supporter of veterans’ health and education benefits throughout her sixteen years on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, from 1967-1983. She was particularly concerned about the physical and mental health challenges facing Vietnam veterans returning from combat. Heckler also worked on alcohol fuels legislation, food stamp amendments, and nutrition guidelines as a member of the Agriculture Committee from 1975-1980. Heckler represented the interests of her district, including industrial towns like Fall River and Taunton, by joining other Representatives on the New England Congressional Caucus, Textile Caucus, and Steel Caucus. After redistricting in 1980, Heckler lost the 1982 election to incumbent Democrat Barney Frank.

Although she had been a supporter of George H. W. Bush for president in the 1980 Republican primary, Heckler was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to replace retiring Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Richard Schweiker in early 1983. Having no medical training or public health experience, Heckler vowed to be a “catalyst for caring” at her Senate confirmation hearing, where she was introduced by Senator Ted Kennedy. During her short tenure at HHS she led the administration’s response to the AIDS epidemic and launched the Secretary’s Task Force on Black and Minority Health, which resulted in a landmark report on the differences in health outcomes of whites and minorities in America. In late 1985 Heckler was asked to resign as HHS Secretary and accept the post of ambassador to Ireland after criticism from White House officials about her management of the department and commitment to the administration’s conservative Republican values. She was sworn in as ambassador in December, 1985.

Heckler’s tenure in Ireland was generally deemed a success, despite her initial reluctance to accept the job. She promoted U.S. business interests and sought to increase American investment in the country. Her term concluded in August, 1989, eight months after President George H. W. Bush’s inauguration. After her retirement from public service Heckler returned to the U.S. to work with Catholic charities and pursue a private career.

Margaret Heckler died on August 6, 2018 in Arlington, Virginia. She was 87.

Sources:

Clymer, Adam. “Margaret Heckler, Lawmaker and Reagan Health Secretary, Dies at 87.” The New York Times, Aug. 6, 2018.

"Margaret Mary O'Shaughnessy Heckler." In Encyclopedia of World Biography Online. Detroit, MI: Gale, 1998.Gale In Context: Biography (accessed January 29, 2020).

Schudel, Matt. “Margaret M. Heckler, congresswoman, HHS secretary and ambassador, dies at 87.” The Washington Post, Aug. 6, 2018.