Alexis Herman
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Alexis Margaret Herman (born July 16, 1947 in Mobile, Alabama) served as the 23rd U.S. Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton. Prior to her appointment, she was Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison.
The daughter of politician Alex Herman and Gloria Caponis, a school teacher, Alexis grew up in Mobile and earned her high school diploma in 1965 from the Heart of Mary High School. She briefly attended Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin, and Spring Hill College in Mobile, but transferred to Xavier University of New Orleans, Louisiana, where she became an active member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 1969.
After college, Herman worked for Catholic Charities and other agencies advocating minority women employment. Jimmy Carter met the young Herman while campaigning in Atlanta, Georgia and, after winning the White House in 1977, tapped her to be Director of the Labor Department's Women's Bureau. At age 29, she was the youngest person to ever serve in that position.
In 1981, Herman founded her own consulting firm - A.M. Herman & Associates. She served as president of the company while remaining active in Democratic politics. During her tenure as chief of staff and later vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, she was responsible for organizing the 1992 Democratic National Convention.
After Bill Clinton's victory in the 1992 Presidential election, Herman became deputy director of the Presidential Transition Office. She was later appointed to head the White House Office of Public Liaison, where she was responsible for the administration's relations with interest groups.
During Clinton's second term, Herman was named Secretary of Labor, the first African American to be nominated for that position and the fifth woman to be appointed. Her nomination was initially opposed by Congressional Republicans and labor unions, but she earned praise from her peers for her handling of the 1997 UPS workers strike.
She was replaced in the George W. Bush administration by Elaine Chao. Herman now serves on the boards of several major companies, including Coca Cola Corporation, Toyota, Cummins, Metro Goldwyn Mayer, and Prudential.
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| Preceded by Robert Reich |
United States Secretary of Labor 1997—2001 |
Succeeded by Elaine Chao |
| United States Secretaries of Labor |  |
|---|---|
| Secretaries of Commerce & Labor: Cortelyou • Metcalf • Straus • Nagel
Secretaries of Labor: Wilson • Davis • Doak • Perkins • Schwellenbach • Tobin • Durkin • Mitchell • Goldberg • Wirtz • Shultz • Hodgson • Brennan • Dunlop • Usery • Marshall • Donovan • Brock • McLaughlin • Dole • Martin • Reich • Herman • Chao |
