She recalled, during a commencement speech at Smith College a year ago, how one man approached her and demanded a reason for her presence at the Law School.

"He said, 'Elizabeth...don't you realize that there are men who would give their right arm to be in this law school--men who would use their legal education."

Despite such sentiments, Dole was able to make use of her education. After graduation, she took on a government job as a White House consumer affairs lawyer. This was the first of many public sector jobs for Dole, who started her political life as a Lyndon Johnson Democrat and soon became a stalwart in the Reagan Republican cabinets.

In 1975, she married rising political star Bob Dole, at that time a divorced Senator from Kansas.

Eventually, Dole's legal experience and political saavy helped her to jump to the top of the executive branch as President Ronald Reagan's Transportation Secretary.

Following her role in the Reagan administration, President George Bush tapped her to be his secretary of labor.

Once again, the determined Dole was thrown in the middle of the traditionally masculine world of coal-mine strikes and labor negotiations.

Her life in government seemed to reach completion in 1992 after President Bush was defeated. Dole left political life to take over the top position at the Red Cross, one of the world's largest charitable organizations.

The former cabinet member declined to accept a salary during her first year at the Red Cross as an attempt to provide an incentive for others to volunteer for charitable organizations.

During her reign, she emphasized the value of improving technology used by the organization, dramatically improved the methods of collecting and distributing blood and raised over $562 million to assist victims of natural disasters.

Dole's efforts were widely recognized for significantly improving the capabilities of her organization.

"The Red Cross has made a huge investment in improving the quality of its own oversight and of the blood supply," said Donna Shalala, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, in 1998, according to a news release from the Dole campaign. "In her leadership of the Red Cross, few have done more to alleviate human miseries and save lives."

Playing Catch-up

Although Dole formed an exploratory committee in March and began fundraising efforts, she has yet to officially announce her bid for America's highest elected office.

In the past, Dole has spoken publicly about the type of president she believes the country deserves.