Pelosi, Nancy (1940–)

American politician. Born Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro, Mar 26, 1940, in Baltimore, Maryland; dau. of Thomas J. D'Alesandro Jr. (5-term member of US House of Representatives and later mayor of Baltimore) and Annunciata D'Alesandro; Trinity College, BA, 1962; sister of Tom D'Alesandro (mayor of Baltimore); married Paul F. Pelosi (San Francisco investment banker); children: Nancy Corinne Prowada; Christine Pelosi (chief of staff for a Massachusetts congressman); Jacqueline Kenneally; Paul Pelosi Jr; Alexandra Pelosi (tv producer who made HBO documentary about George W. Bush presidential campaign, Journeys with George).

Served as chair of the California State Democratic Party (1981–83); served as finance chair of Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (1986); as Democratic representative of San Francisco, elected to US House of Representatives to replace Sala Burton after Burton's death (1987); in early years in the House, served on the Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs Committee and the Government Operations Committee, while sponsoring a wide variety of legislation; served for 6 years on Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics); also served as senior member on the House Appropriations Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; served as co-chair of Democratic Platform Committee of Democratic National Committee (1992) and vice-chair of the Democratic National Convention (1996); served as House Democratic Whip (2001), the highest position any woman had held in either house of Congress; became minority leader (2002), the 1st woman in US history to lead a major party in Congress.