American attorney, politician, and author Elizabeth Dole initially served as a Democratic Party member but switched to the Republican Party after her marriage to Republican senator Bob Dole in 1975. The Harvard Law School graduate was the 8th US Secretary of Transportation, under Ronald Reagan, thus becoming the first woman to hold the post. She also served as the 20th US Secretary of Labor, under George H. W. Bush. From 2003 to 2009, she served as the US Senator for North Carolina, again becoming the first female politician to hold the post. She also headed the American Red Cross and has been the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. She has also established The Elizabeth Dole Foundation, a charitable initiative to help military caregivers of the US. In 2000, she attempted for the Republican Party presidential nomination. She has also won multiple awards and accolades for her efforts to reform areas such as labor, transportation, and blood safety.
