Carmen Delgado Votaw was a civil rights pioneer, a public servant, an author, and community leader.

Votaw was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to serve as cochair of the National Advisory Committee for Women.

As the first Hispanic female chief of staff for a Member of Congress, she worked to address the challenges facing 3.5 million Puerto Ricans living on the island and to build a strong network for women in the Federal Government.

After leaving the U.S. House of Representatives, she was involved with the Girl Scouts of the USA, United Way of America, and the Alliance for Children and Families.

For her leadership in education, she was a 1996 recipient of the National Hispanic Heritage Award, presented at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.