[3] In 1972 she co-sponsored Title IX, which required that no person, on the basis of sex, could be discriminated against under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.

In 1977, she launched and co-founded the Congresswoman's Caucus, a bipartisan group of 14 members focused on equality for women in Social Security, tax laws, and related areas.

At the Republican National Convention in 1980, Heckler urged then presidential nominee Ronald Reagan to put the first woman on the Supreme Court.

In Massachusetts, she was noted for building an especially-effective network of constituent services that allowed her to triumph through several re-election bids in an overwhelmingly-Democratic state.

Heckler's district, then the only one in Massachusetts large enough to not need redistricting, was combined with that of freshman Democratic Representative Barney Frank.

[8] Heckler repeatedly assured the American public that the nation's blood supply was "100% safe... for both the hemophiliac who requires large transfusions and for the average citizen who might need it for surgery.

"[9] To try to calm the hysteria surrounding the crisis Heckler donated blood and shook hands with AIDS patients.

Heckler's tenure as secretary was also marked by scandal in the Washington press when her husband, John, filed for divorce in 1984.

The episode was tinged by election-year concerns over the impact of the divorce on conservative voters and dragged on for months as the couple argued whether Massachusetts or Virginia, to where she had moved, had jurisdiction in the case.

[10] Following the 1984 presidential election, White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan pressured Reagan, empowered by a landslide victory, to nominate Heckler as Ambassador to Ireland in November 1985.

[13] As ambassador, Heckler played a crucial role in obtaining a US$120 million grant to the International Fund for Ireland, an economic development organization.

[14] She was a frequent guest on Irish television programs and was "by all accounts an effective spokesperson for her government's policies on everything from Central America to international trade.