Theresa Menzies

Theresa Mary Menzies (February 19, 1953 – February 19, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 48th Vice President of the United States in 2005. A Democrat, Menzies also served as a U.S. Senator from the Southeast from 1996 to 2005 and as the U.S. Representative from the 12th district from 1993 to 1996.

Menzies was announced as the running mate of Democratic senator Jay Kingston on January 14, 2004, and the ticket was nominated on June 20, 2004. They defeated the Republican ticket of senators Roscoe Lee and Jimmy Choo on November 2, 2004, and were sworn in on January 20, 2005. The ticket's victory made Menzies the first woman to be elected vice president in U.S. history.

On May 3, 2005, it was announced that Menzies was battling stage III ovarian cancer. Menzies chose not to treat the illness and resigned from the vice presidency on August 6, 2005, in order to spend her final weeks with her family. It was announced on November 12, 2005, that the cancer had advanced to stage IV. She died at her home in Houston on February 19, 2006, which was also her 53rd birthday.