Barbara B. Kennelly

Infobox_Congressman
name = Barbara B. Kennelly


date of birth = birth date and age|1936|7|10
place of birth = Hartford, Connecticut
state = Connecticut
district = 1st
term_start = January 12, 1982
term_end = January 3, 1999
preceded = William R. Cotter
succeeded = John B. Larson
party = Democrat
spouse =
children =
religion =

Barbara Bailey Kennelly (born July 10, 1936) was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Connecticut.

Kennelly was born in Hartford, Connecticut, the daughter of long-time Democratic Party leader John M. Bailey. She graduated from Trinity Washington University in 1958 and received a master's degree from Trinity College in 1971. She was married to the late James J. Kennelly, an attorney who served as a Connecticut State Representative and Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives. She has three daughters, one son, and nine grandchildren.

In 1975, Kennelly was elected to the Hartford City Council, where she was a member until 1979. She served as the Secretary of the State of Connecticut from 1979 until 1982.

Kennelly was elected to Congress in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of William R. Cotter. She represented Connecticut's First Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives from January 12 1982 until January 3 1999. She did not seek re-election in 1998, running instead for governor of Connecticut against Republican incumbent John G. Rowland, to whom she lost.

Since 2002 she has served as President of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.

The Barbara B. Kennelly Post Office Building in Hartford is named in her honor.

References

*CongLinks|congbio=K000118
* [http://www.cwhf.org/hall/kennelly/kennelly.htm Barbara Kennelly] in Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame