Monday, September 15, 2025, 6 p.m.
The St. Michaels Community Center (SMCC) welcomes author Kimberly Heckler to discuss her new fascinating biography of her mother-in-law, Margaret Heckler, whose Irish immigrant spirit overcame remarkable personal struggles to become a pioneering Washington, DC, political leader, first elected to Congress in 1967, as one of only eleven women.
The event will be held on Monday, September 15, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. at the Center, located at 103 Railroad Avenue, St. Michaels, MD. Admission is free, and seats can be reserved by emailing Boardsecretary@stmichaelscc.
“SMCC is proud to share this history of Margaret Heckler, a forward-looking thinker, whose accomplishments made her one of the most powerful women in the country in the 1970s and 1980s, who brought women’s accomplishments to the forefront,” said Lori Morris, SMCC President.
Heckler was one of the first women to graduate from Boston College Law School. She went on to serve eight terms in Congress, where her 1974 landmark legislation, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, granted women the right to credit and credit cards in their own name — arguably the most important legal protection for women since the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave them the right to vote in 1920.
She left Congress to serve as President Reagan’s Secretary of Health and Human Services during the AIDS crisis and later returned to her homeland as the U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. Her career spanned five presidencies: Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan, whom she encouraged to appoint Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court.
A Woman of Firsts isn’t just a biography – it’s a front-row seat to the life of a woman who consistently defied expectations, challenged the status quo, and shaped American history….Her legacy is too important, and … too impactful to be forgotten,” wrote one reviewer.
About St. Michaels Community Center (SMCC)
The St. Michaels Community Center serves, empowers, and connects the residents of St. Michaels, the Bay Hundred area, and Talbot County. SMCC improves the quality of life and meets the needs of our community through programs that enrich the lives of children, teens, seniors, and families, along with recreational, social, and educational activities for residents of all ages regardless of ethnicity, gender, or economic status.
The center’s newly renovated building is located at 103 Railroad Avenue in St. The center’s newly renovated building is at 103 Railroad Avenue in St. Michaels. Information about the Center’s work is available online at http://www.stmichaelscc.org.ht
0 Responses
A “Woman of Firsts” is a consequential read from beginning to end. Author and daughter-in -law Kim Heckler brings Margaret’s incredible accomplishments to life. Her intimate story moves from childhood adversity to a seemingly predetermined success in a formidable political career and inspires both curiosity and tenacity. With humor, humility and hubris Margaret Heckler achieved life changing results for women, veterans and marginalized communities. A truly unforgettable woman who stood for what is right every day and not what was simply the politics of the day. Highly recommend.
The timing for this book and event feels perfect. In a moment when the nation is searching for hopeful, unifying examples, Margaret Heckler’s story offers an important reminder of resilience, service, and the power of trailblazing women in American politics.