Vol. 25 No. 24Currently president and chief executive of Barbara Franklin Enterprises, a Washington-based investment and international trade consulting firm, Ms. Franklin began her government service in 1971 when President Nixon appointed her to direct the first White House program to recruit women for high-level federal jobs -- an effort which resulted in tripling the numbers of women in those positions. In 1973, she was appointed one of the first commissioners of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. In the 1980s, while serving on the faculty of the Wharton School, she held membership on the boards of directors of seven large American companies and founded the consulting firm of Franklin Associates.
During this time she also served four terms, by appointment of presidents Reagan and Bush, on the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, and was a public delegate to the United Nations General Assembly. When President Bush appointed her the 29th secretary of commerce in late 1991, Ms. Franklin became the highest-ranking woman in the administration. She achieved a major goal -- increasing American exports -- with emphasis on market-opening initiatives in China, Russia, Japan and Mexico. Of special note was her historic mission to China in 1992 which normalized commercial relations with that country.
"We are very pleased to receive the papers of this distinguished alumna," Nancy M. Cline, dean of the University Libraries, said. "Throughout her career, which is by no means over, Barbara Hackman Franklin has had a significant influence in the policy arenas of government, industry and international trade and at the same time, has dedicated considerable effort to improving opportunities for women. Her collected papers will provide a rich collection for scholars of public policy and offer insight to the challenges facing those who seek careers in public service."
Ms. Franklin has been honored by Penn State as one of the youngest recipients of the University's Distinguished Alumni Award and as an Alumni Fellow of the College of the Liberal Arts. She has also served two terms as a member of the Board of Trustees, has served on the Alumni Council and is a life member of the Alumni Association.
A native of Lancaster, Pa., she earned a bachelor's degree with distinction in political science from Penn State and was one of the first women to receive a master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.
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