Cardiss Collins

Infobox_Congressman
name = Cardiss Collins


date of birth = birth date and age|1931|9|24
place of birth = St. Louis, Missouri
state = Illinois
district = 7th
term_start = June 5, 1973
term_end = January 3, 1997
preceded = George W. Collins
succeeded = Danny K. Davis
party = Democrat
spouse = George W. Collins
children =
religion =

Cardiss H. Collins, originally Cardiss Robertson, (born September 24, 1931) is a Democratic politician from Illinois who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1973 to 1997. She was the first African American woman to represent the Midwest in Congress.

Collins was elected to Congress in the June 5, 1973 special election to replace her husband, George, who had died in the December 8, 1972 United Airlines Flight 553 plane crash. The seat had been renumbered from the 6th district to the 7th when she took the seat. She had previously worked as an accountant in various state government positions.

Congressional career

In 1979, she was elected as president of the Congressional Black Caucus, a position she used to become an occasional liberal critic of President Jimmy Carter. She later became the caucus vice chairman.

In the 1980s, Collins warded off two strong primary challenges from Alderman Danny K. Davis, who would finally be elected to replace her in 1996.

In 1991, Collins was named chair of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Her legislative interests were focused on establishing universal health insurance, providing for gender equity in college sports, and reforming federal childcare facilities.

Collins gained a brief national prominence in 1993 as the chairwoman of a congressional committee investigating college sports and as a critic of the NCAA. She also engaged in a memorable and intensely personal debate with Rep. Henry Hyde over Medicaid funding of abortion that year.

Retirement

Collins did not seek reelection in 1996, citing her age and the Republican majority in the House.

In 2004, Collins was selected by Nielsen Media Research to head a task force examining the representation of African Americans in TV rating samples. Collins currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia.

External links

* [http://www.visionaryproject.com/collinscardiss Cardiss Collins' oral history video excerpts] at The National Visionary Leadership Project

References

* [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=C000634 Congressional Biography]
* [http://www.mith2.umd.edu/WomensStudies/GovernmentPolitics/WomeninCongress/Biographies/House/collins-cardiss University of Maryland. Women's Studies Database. Government and Politics. Women in Congress biography.]
* [http://www.nielsenmedia.com/newsreleases/2004/TaskForce.htm "Nielsen Appoints Prominent Community and Industry Leaders to Independent Task Force on TV Measurement." Nielsen Media Research. 06/08/04.]
*Michael Arndt. "3 Chicago Congressmen Persevere." Chicago Tribune. 03/19/1986. p. 1.
*Ed Sherman. "Collins Grabs Baton as Congress' NCAA Nemesis." Chicago Tribune. 01/15/1993. p. 2.
*Jacqueline Trescott. "The Coming Out of Cardiss Collins." Washington Post. 09/21/1979. p. C1.