Nora Bredes, director of the Susan B. Anthony Center for Women’s Leadership at the University of Rochester, died last week from complications of breast cancer. She was 60 years old.
Bredes came to the University of Rochester in 1999 to lead the center which conducts research and serve as a information clearinghouse on women’s issues, particularly in the field of politics. Joel Seligman, president of the University of Rochester stated: “Her research on women in politics had an impact on the democratic process at the state, regional, and national levels. Nora was a person of extraordinary commitment and intelligence who made a difference in the life of our university.”
A native of Huntington, New York, in the 1980s Bredes was the driving force behind a grassroots movement that halted the opening of the Shoreham Nuclear Power plant on Long Island due to concerns over safety.
Bredes, a graduate of Cornell University, served for six years in the Suffolk County legislature on Long Island. In 1996, she ran unsuccessfully for Congress.