- Title
- Our state
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-
- Date
- November 1997
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-
- Place
- ["North Carolina, United States"]
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Our state
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North Carolina’s Most Admired Woman
by Leigh Pressley
Steel Magnolia
Salisbury native and American Red Cross President Elizabeth Dole has deep roots in
North Carolina and a profound commitment to humanitarian ism. And Our Slate
readers have acknowledged her efforts by voting her the state’s most admired woman.
In 1996. Elizabeth 1 lanford Dole was
named one of the 10 Most
Fascinating People In- Barlxtra
Wallers, the Most Inspiring Political
Figure by MSNBC, one of the Top
Newsmakers of the Year by Nrwsuwb, the
Third Most Admired Woman in America
by (kxxl tfousitaprngand one of
would be home to dedicate an American
Red Cross building named in her moth¬
er's honor. The short news item then
brought a Hood of requests for Dole's
limited time.
’AVe had the dedication and reception
first." Dole says of her itinerary. Then a
young man at the high school invited me
to address his history class. I le went to
my mother first, and she put in a good
word for him. So I taught the history
class. Then 1 was asked to speak at a
Kiwanis Club luncheon, and then I did a
Christian witness at church. There were a
couple ol Red Cross visits as well. You
start to get the picture.”
Glamour's Women of the Year.
But when the readers of Our State
named Dole the Most Admired Woman
in North Carolina, it was an honor from
the people, not the pundits, that made
an impression.
*1 feel very humble and very grateful,"
Dole says from her office at the
American Red Cross headquarters in
Washington. D.C. “It's wonderful moral
support, and I think we all need that as
we meet our challenges in life. I will cer¬
tainly cherish it. It’s very special because
my roots are deep in North Carolina
Washington is where I work, but North
Carolina is home."
Dole, who was born in 1936. grew up
in Salisbury, and attended Duke
University, returns to her home about
every six weeks to visit her mother Mary
I lanford. now 96. like many daughters
do with their mothers. Dole continues to
чч-к
advice from her earliest female role
model.
“She's still going strong, and she's very
wise and insightful." says Dole. "She's
always there to support me and to Ixu k
me up. She's still a wonderful sounding
Itoard and a person whose views 1 respect
vet v much. She inspires me to try and do
my Ih-si."
While visits home are typically quiet
times with family and friends, the spot¬
light of fame does creep in every once in
a while. Just More one recent visit to
Salisbury, the media reported that Dole-
24