Submit your event/s here. Note that we limit event listings mainly to free or inexpensive public events in Wellesley, such as talks, films, theatre productions, concerts, etc. This is not a place for businesses to promote themselves, their classes, etc. Please don’t submit events that run for weeks and weeks. We approve event listings before they go live, typically within 24 hours.
No business sales, trunk shows, etc. (those would be paid advertisements). Please go easy on the ALL CAPS, exclamation points!!!!, etc.
We also appreciate any contributions to support our independent journalism venture.
Thanks, Deborah & Bob
- This event has passed.
Wellesley Historical Society speaker event: A Woman of Firsts: Margaret Heckler, Political Trailblazer
The groundbreaking political career of Wellesley’s Margaret Heckler spanned five presidencies, from Lyndon Johnson to Ronald Reagan, and took her from the halls of Congress to the Cabinet and a U.S. ambassadorship. In A Woman of Firsts, author Kimberly Heckler chronicles the remarkable journey of a woman who, despite being rejected at birth by her Irish immigrant parents, rose to become one of the most powerful figures in Washington during the 1970s and 1980s. Her path was never easy—she fought her way through law school in an era when women were discouraged from the profession, becoming the only woman in her graduating class at Boston College Law, and went on to win eight terms in Congress. There, she championed landmark legislation including the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Title IX, and the Equal Rights Amendment, and played a pivotal role in persuading Ronald Reagan to appoint the first woman to the U.S. Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor. A trailblazer in every sense, Heckler’s legacy reveals the grit, bipartisanship, and vision it took to shatter political glass ceilings and offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at a transformative era in American politics.
Kimberly Heckler, the author and daughter-in-law of Margaret Heckler, is a writer, public speaker, and member of the Library of Congress Women’s History and Gender Studies Group. She has been featured on C-SPAN’s Book TV and in numerous television and radio programs, and has devoted over a decade to researching Margaret’s life. She lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband John.
Our Speaker Series is free & open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
This series is presented in partnership with the Wellesley Free Library.
