<Tr> <Th> Education </Th> <Td> Marymount Manhattan College (BA) Fordham University (JD) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Signature </Th> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <P> Geraldine Anne "Gerry" Ferraro (August 26, 1935--March 26, 2011) was an American attorney and Democratic Party politician who served in the United States House of Representatives . In 1984, she was the first female vice presidential candidate representing a major American political party . </P> <P> Ferraro grew up in New York City and worked as a public school teacher before training as a lawyer . She joined the Queens County District Attorney's Office in 1974, heading the new Special Victims Bureau that dealt with sex crimes, child abuse, and domestic violence . In 1978 she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she rose rapidly in the party hierarchy while focusing on legislation to bring equity for women in the areas of wages, pensions, and retirement plans . </P>

Who was the first woman to be nominated for vice president