Frankie Sue’s life story is one of “Firsts.” She was the first woman elected Secretary of the State of Nevada, as well as the first woman elected as Nevada State Attorney General. She held a University of Nevada Regent seat for one term. But Frankie Sue’s bio goes far beyond that. Moving from the small town of Tonopah to Las Vegas, she honed her leadership skills beginning with Student Body President at Rancho High School to be elected the first woman University of Nevada Reno, Associated Students of the University of Nevada, President. Her accomplishments spanned the spectrum from legislation relating to increased consumer protection to women’s rights and domestic violence to promoting legislation for the state to capture, for the first time, a portion of the federal estate taxes paid by individuals residing in Nevada with revenue directed to help fund K-12 and university education.
Frankie Sue Del Papa was interviewed on December 7, 2023, by the Nevada Women’s History Project. This interview was funded by the Estelle J. Kelsey Foundation.