WASHINGTON — Yesterday, U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) introduced legislation to rename the Purcellville, Virginia post office in honor of Madeleine Albright, the first woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of State who called Virginia home for many years.

“We are proud to support the renaming of the Purcellville post office to honor former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright,” said the senators. “Madeleine Albright’s story is marked by her remarkable resilience and commitment to service. Naming this post office after her would be a fitting tribute recognizing her lasting influence on not only Virginia, but the whole of the United States.”

Madeleine Albright and her family fled their home country of Czechoslovakia in 1939 as Nazis seized power throughout the region. They later immigrated to the United States where she quickly excelled and paved the way for generations of women as she rose to serve at the highest levels of government. As ambassador to the United Nations under President Bill Clinton and then as the first woman to serve as Secretary of State, Secretary Albright demonstrated her capability in advancing the United States’ national security. Following her career in public service, Secretary Albright served as a professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, imparting her skills, experience and wisdom to the next generation of American leaders. In 2012, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the U.S., by President Barack Obama.

Representative Jennifer Wexton introduced companion legislation, which passed earlier this year, in the House of Representatives.

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