Marjorie Margolies

Marjorie Margolies was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 21, 1942. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1963 and subsequently embarked on a distinguished career in television journalism, working for WCAU-TV from 1967 to 1971 and then for NBC from 1971 to 1991. During her time as a journalist, she earned five Emmy Awards and reported for programs such as NBC’s Today Show. Her early career also included a CBS News Foundation Fellowship at Columbia University from 1969 to 1970. Margolies gained national attention in 1970 when she became the first single woman in the United States to adopt a foreign child, a Korean girl, an experience that later led her to adopt a Vietnamese girl, and influenced her advocacy for changing adoption and immigration policies. Her personal experiences extended to raising a total of 11 children, including biological, adopted, and stepchildren, an aspect of her life she detailed in her 1976 book, “They Came to Stay.”

In 1992, Margolies transitioned from journalism to politics, successfully running as a Democrat for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 13th congressional district. This was a notable achievement, as the district had been represented by Republicans since 1916. During her single term in the 103rd Congress (1993–1995), she served on the Energy and Commerce Committee, the Government Operations Committee, and the Small Business Committee. She focused on issues important to women, such as abortion rights, increased funding for breast and cervical cancer research, and legislative proposals to educate doctors on women-specific diseases. A significant moment in her congressional career was casting the decisive 218th vote for President Bill Clinton’s 1993 budget, a vote that, while controversial in her district due to her initial public opposition to tax increases, was critical for the administration’s agenda. This vote contributed to her unsuccessful bid for re-election in 1994 against Jon D. Fox.

Following her time in Congress, Margolies continued her work in public service and advocacy. She chaired the National Women’s Business Council and served as director and deputy chair of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995. She also became the executive director of the Women’s Campaign Fund, an organization supporting women candidates who advocated for abortion rights. Margolies later founded and chaired Women’s Campaign International (WCI), an organization dedicated to providing advocacy training for women globally. She has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government, sharing her expertise in policy and leadership.