14 Facts About Eileen Kraus

Eileen Shanley Kraus was an American business executive who broke the glass ceiling to be the first woman to run a major bank in Connecticut.

Eileen Kraus was inducted into the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame in 2002.

Eileen Kraus went on to attend Trinity College, where she worked in fundraising and earned a Master of Arts degree in political science in 1965.

Eileen Kraus became active in the Junior League of Hartford and serve as the League's president from 1973 to 1975.

Eileen Kraus chaired the Governor's Council on Voluntary Action and served as a trustee of the University of Connecticut Foundation.

In 1979, Eileen Kraus became vice president of human resources planning and development at the Hartford National Bank.

Eileen Kraus rose through the executive suite to become vice chair of Shawmut National Corporation in 1990 and president of Connecticut National Bank in 1992.

Eileen Kraus retired as chair of Fleet Bank Connecticut in 2000.

Eileen Kraus chaired the Greater Hartford Chamber of Commerce and Community Economic Development Foundation and served as a trustee of Trinity College and Kingswood-Oxford School and as a board member of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, the Capitol Region Growth Council, Yale New Haven Hospital, and many other community and corporate boards.

Eileen Kraus received numerous awards and honors in the 1990s and 2000s.

Eileen Kraus was recognized as Business Leader of the Year by the Hartford Courant, a Woman of Merit by the Connecticut Valley Girl Scout Council, and Laura A Johnson Woman of the Year by the Hartford College for Women.

Eileen Kraus was a 2002 inductee into the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame and received honorary doctorates from the University of Hartford and Charter Oak State College.

Eileen Kraus was the founding chair of the Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame Board of Trustees.

The Eileen Kraus Scholarship was established in 2016 with support from the Kaman Corporation.