Governor Rell: New Bradley Airport Wing

Will Be Named ‘Ella T. Grasso Concourse’

State’s First Female Governor Was Windsor Locks Native

“To see, to recognize, to understand – that is the spirit of humanism. It

will teach you how to live and how to bring life to the world about you.”

– Ella Grasso, 1975 Mount Holyoke Commencement Address

            Governor M. Jodi Rell announced today – on Mother’s Day and the 90^th anniversary of the birth of Governor Ella T. Grasso – that the state will honor the memory of its first female governor by naming a concourse in the new terminal of Bradley International Airport after the Windsor Locks native.

            “Ella Grasso’s enduring legacy is that she governed with courage and a passion for her fellow citizens,” Governor Rell said. “A woman of common means and uncommon compassion, Governor Grasso – referred to by many as ‘Mother Ella’ – made the noble calling of public service attainable for generations of women in Connecticut and around the nation. Her pioneering path is one I always have been proud and humbled to follow.”

            Grasso was elected governor in 1974, becoming the first woman in any state to be elected governor in her own right, without running on the record of a husband who had been governor. She was already an influential figure in the Democratic Party before that historic election, having served as a State Representative, Secretary of the State and Congresswoman for the 6^th District.

            Governor Rell said a ceremony to officially dedicate the “Ella T. Grasso Concourse” will be scheduled for a later date. The 60,000-square-foot concourse is part the $200 million expansion of Terminal A at Bradley International. The concourse features 11 gates, several retail outlets and is currently served by two airlines, with two more to be added by year’s end.

            “The people of this great state have honored Governor Grasso in a number of ways and I am tremendously proud we can add one more – and do it in her beloved home town,” Governor Rell said. “There are already schools, streets and highways that bear her name. Her statue high above the entrance to the state Capitol is a daily reminder of her place in history here.”

            Ella Grasso was born May 10, 1919, in Windsor Locks to Italian immigrants James and Maria Tambussi. Her local education was at St. Mary’s School in Windsor Locks and the Chafee School in Windsor.

            She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, an institution she said encouraged her to “think of my life not as something that would happen to me, but as something I would shape for myself.” In 1942, she married Thomas Grasso and the couple had two children, Susanne and James.

            An intense, dedicated leader, Grasso endeared herself to Connecticut citizens when she spent days at the state Armory in Hartford overseeing operations after a 1978 blizzard paralyzed the state. Her calm and compassionate demeanor throughout the ordeal helped forge the enduring image of “Mother Ella.”

            Easily re-elected in 1978, Grasso served until illness forced her to resign on December 31, 1980. She died February 5, 1981. Her body lay in state at the Capitol for 24 hours as thousands of mourners paid their last respects.

            “Ella Grasso gave her heart and soul to the people of Connecticut, firmly believing we must always lead with our humanity,” Governor Rell said.