Betty Davis (Napoleon's World)

Beatrice Franklin Davis (nee Franklin; May 1, 1924 - December 28, 2007) was an American Democratic politician, best known for her unsuccessful Vice Presidential run in 1968 on the McCarty ticket. An outspoken liberal and vocal leader of the women's rights movement, Davis was both a polarizing and trailblazing figure in her time. She was the first woman to appear on a national party ticket, doing so in a time of receding conservatism, and was seen as having "broken the glass ceiling" for women politicians nationwide. However, she was also controversial due to her left-wing statements, many of which were far out of the mainstream liberal Democratic party line, and helped cause a bitter divide within the Democratic Party between moderates and liberals in the 1972 election. Davis represented Rhode Island's 2nd District for fourteen years, from 1965 until 1979, when she announced her retirement from politics. Despite the two women having wildly divergent political views, Davis is often cited as the reason the moderate Elizabeth Shannon was able to run in 1980 and win two terms as President.