ABSTRACT
Patricia Roberts Harris was a superachiever driven in her professional life by an ambition for excellence, a brilliant intellect, and a passion to make a dif ference for social justice for blacks, for women, and for the disadvantaged. Through persistence, tremendous energy, sheer determination, and hard work she gained not only political power, but also emerged as a respected col league of American presidents and congressional leaders. Patricia Harris is frequently remembered as a tough, abrasive, assertive, no-nonsense admin istrator; an educator; and a dedicated career public administrator. She was often labeled arrogant, sharp-tongued, contentious, and harsh by critics, sub ordinates, associates, and the media. But even critics agree that personal in tegrity powered her unwavering commitment to improving the quality of life, civil rights, and educational opportunity for blacks, women, the poor, and those in America’s inner cities.
