Vera Glaser

Wire service reporter Vera Glaser famously asked President Nixon the following question at a televised press conference:

"Mr. President, since you've been inaugurated, you have made approximately 200 presidential appointments, and only three of them have gone to women. Can we expect some more equitable recognition of women's abilities, or are we going to remain the lost sex?"

According to Glaser: "The President kind of smiled and leaned back. He said, "Would you care to come into the Administration?" Frankly, I thought that was a little snide. But he must have realized, "I'm on television with 50 million people watching," and he turned quite serious. "Well, you know," he said, "I really wasn't aware of that. We will do something as soon as possible." I took that as the kind of empty promise a politician might make. But indeed he did get going. He was the first President to give a lot of attention to it.

One of her oral histories is available here.

Her obituary is available here.