Presidential Cabinet Secretary. She served as United States Secretary of Commerce from 1977 until 1979, during the administration of President Jimmy Carter, becoming the first female in that capacity. The daughter of a coal mine operator, her parents divorced when she was four. She was raised in a poverty-stricken Kentucky community during the depression, and growing up under those circumstances influenced her to devote her life to economics. After attending a Presbyterian boarding school, Kreps earned her BA from Berea College and a PhD in Economics from Duke University. She was a Professor of Economics at Denison University, Hofstra College and Queens College, before returning to Duke University for a professorship in 1955;  she served as vice president of Duke from 1974 until 1977. During her tenure as Commerce Secretary, she was noted for opening trade between the US and China. Kreps was the author of several books, among them “Sex in the Marketplace: American Women at Work” (1971). She died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. (bio by: C.S.)  Family links:  Spouse:  Clifton Holland Kreps (1920 – 2000)*  Children:  Sarah Blair Kreps (1951 – 2001)* *Calculated relationship