March 23, 2010 (San Diego) – Former White House aide Margaret "Midge" Costanza, 77, died today at Scripps Memorial Hospital following a long battle with cancer. Costanza made history in 1976 when President Jimmy Carter appointed her as assistant to the president, the first woman to occupy a senior position on the White House staff.

An outspoken champion of women’s rights and gay rights, Costanza has lived in San Diego for the past 20 years. Also an adjunct professor at San Diego State University in the political science, communication and women’s studies departments, she established the Midge Constanza Institute at SDSU to inspire young people to become active in political and social causes.