The Honorable Jean Carnahan

2023 Civic Leader of the Year

December 1933 – January 2024

The Honorable Jean Carnahan served as Missouri’s First Lady from 1993-2000 and went on to serve as the first woman United States Senator of Missouri. Not only has Senator Carnahan been a loyal and faithful public servant, she’s also the author of 8 books. 
 
Jean Carnahan grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Washington D.C. Determined to get a college education, Jean worked while attending The George Washington University. In 1955, her dreams came true when she earned a degree in Business and Public Administration, making her the first in her family to graduate from high school and college. In 1954, she married her high school sweetheart, Mel Carnahan. The couple raised their four children on a farm near Rolla, Missouri, where Jean worked in political, civic, church, and scouting activities. Jean and Mel worked side by side during his forty years of public service. They served our state as Mel was elected as a state legislator, State Treasurer and then Governor of Missouri. During Jean’s service to our state as First Lady, she was an advocate for many things including on-site daycare centers for working families, for childhood immunization, and for abuse centers, the arts, and Habitat for Humanity. During her service as a United States Senator, she served on various powerful committees including the Armed Services Committee, where she was the fifth woman to ever serve.  Since leaving the Senate, Senator Carnahan has lived here in St. Louis, where she has stayed engaged as an author, food blogger, and speaker. 
 
Senator Jean Carnahan is an inspiration to many. A model of resiliency and perseverance, she prioritized service to our state as she overcame unimaginable tragedy, becoming Missouri’s first woman US Senator.  She shows us what it means to keep the fire going – whether in making a difference through a life dedicated to public service… or sharing her good humor, along with good recipes, to brighten our days.