{{short description|American politician}} '''Virginia B. Hart''' (July 19, 1914 – March 24, 2007) was an American politician and the first female cabinet member in Wisconsin.
After World War II, Hart came to Wisconsin with her husband. Hart joined a small group to reorganize the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and became its first executive secretary. Hart was an instructor at the Wisconsin School for Workers during the late 1940s and a member of the Madison Citizens for Fair Housing from 1950 to 1964. She was also a founder of Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin. In the late 1960s, Hart was the president of the Community Welfare Council.
Hart was a formative force in bringing together social agencies of the city of Madison, Wisconsin<ref>Virginia Hart Papers, c. 1941 – 1972, Wisconsin Historical Society</ref> and community service in the State of Wisconsin. In 1973, Hart was appointed as Wisconsin's Secretary of the Department of Regulations and Licensing by Governor Patrick J. Lucey.<ref name="Obit">{{cite news|title=Government Leader Virginia Hart Dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35121172/virginia_hart_19142007/ |newspaper=Wisconsin State Journal |date=March 27, 2007 |page=2 |via = Newspapers.com |accessdate = August 21, 2019}} {{Open access}}</ref> Hart also served as Commissioner of Labor, Industry and Human Relations, vice chair of the Wisconsin Judicial Commission, chair of the Labor and Industry Review Commission, and as chair of the Wisconsin Manpower Council.<ref>The State of Wisconsin Blue Book, 1973</ref> Hart served on the Police and Fire Commission in the City of Madison.<ref name="Obit"/>
After her death in 2007, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin Barbara Lawton spoke at her memorial service.<ref name="madison">{{cite web|url=http://host.madison.com/news/opinion/editorial/obituaries/article_d32538ae-1e94-5c52-ab73-650d32b3aa70.html|title=Obituaries | Opinion|website=host.madison.com|accessdate=2018-01-23}}</ref>
The Governor of Wisconsin's Virginia Hart Special Recognition Award is named in her honor.<ref name="Obit"/> Organized annually by the State Employment Relations Commission, the award recognizes Wisconsin's exceptional women whose contributions to the state have a significant impact.
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hart, Virginia}} Category:1914 births Category:2007 deaths Category:Politicians from Madison, Wisconsin Category:State cabinet secretaries of Wisconsin Category:Women in Wisconsin politics Category:Wisconsin Democrats Category:20th-century Wisconsin politicians Category:20th-century American women politicians