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Eunice
Kennedy Shriver (1921-2009) Eunice Mary Kennedy Shriver
(July 10, 1921-August 11, 2009) was a
member of the Kennedy family and a
co-founer of the Special Olympics in the
1960s as a national organization. Born in
Brookline, Massachusetts, she was the
fifth of nine children of Joseph P.
Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Kennedy . She was
married to Sargent Shriver, and the mother
of California First Lady Maria
Shriver, and the mother-in-law of
Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger. Eunice Mary Kennedy was born into the
wealthy and politically connected Kennedy
family of Boston, Massachusetts, on July
10, 1921. She received an excellent
education, as befitting the daughter of a
wealthy ambassador, and the granddaughter
of a two-time
Mayor of Boston. Rather than waste her
life as a well-to-do socialite, as many of
her upper-class colleagues do, Eunice
Kennedy chose to devote her life to
improving the way society viewed and
treated people (especially children) with
disabilities. Motivated by the mental
handicap and institutionalization of her
older sister, Rosemary Kennedy, Eunice
Kennedy used her formidable rhetorical and
organizational skills, as well as her vast
political connections, to prod the federal
government into creating the National
Institute of Child Health and Human
Development, a division of the
National
Institutes of Health. This government
health agency originally worked to
investigate the broad aspects of human
development as a means of understanding
developmental disabilities, including
mental retardation, and the events that
occur during pregnancy. In 2008, Congress
recognized Eunice Kennedy's importance in
the creation of this agency by officially
re-naming the agency as the Eunice Kennedy
Shriver National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development. Obviously, having
her brother as the sitting president while
she lobbied for the creation of this
agency helped greatly, she knew how to
lobby the members of congress to gain
their approval for this agency. Eunice Kennedy Shriver will be best
known as a co-founder, along with Anne
McGlone Burke, of the Special
Olympics in 1968. Again, Eunice
Shriver's involvement with this
organization highlights her deep affection
and care for people with special needs and
the well-being of not only special needs
athletes, but also of their parents and
caregivers, who, she recognized, also
needed to see their children excel and
achieve in ways that were fulfilling and
meaningful. In her personal life, Eunice Kennedy
also found herself immersed in the
political world. Her husband, Robert
Sargent Shriver (often called by his
middle name or as "Sarge"), played a major
role in the Kennedy and Johnson
Administrations, served as ambassador to
France, and ran for office several times,
most notably in a failed bid for the
Vice-Presidency in 1972. The Shrivers had
five children, Robert Jr., Maria, Timothy,
Mark, and Anthony. Maria Shriver is the
best known of the Shriver children, having
developed a successful career in
television news before she herself married
famous movie actor, and current governor
of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Maria is currently the First Lady of
California. Politically, Eunice Kennedy Shriver was
a life-long Democrat, but she was vocal as
a pro-life Democrat, as are many Democrats
of the Catholic faith. In 1990, she wrote
a letter
to the New York Times denouncing the
misuse of a quote by President Kennedy
used out of context by an abortion-rights
group. In 1992, Eunice Shriver, along with
other notable personalities, signed a
public letter to the New York Times
denouncing the Democratic Party's
pro-abortion plank in the official party
platform. When her son-in-law, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, ran for the office of
California governor as a Republican in
2003, Eunice and Sargent Shriver publicly
supported him and campaigned for him in
California. This is the only known
instance that the Shrivers strayed from
their role as prominent members of the
Democratic Party. (Though it needs to be
pointed out that Governor Schwarzenegger
is considered a fairly moderate/liberal
Republican.) As she aged, Eunice Shriver's health
became an issue. She was hospitalized in
2005 with a minor stroke and a hip
fracture. She was again hospitalized in
2007 for an undisclosed health issue. In August,
2009, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, suffered a
series of strokes (source:
Schwarzenegger,
Maria Shriver at Eunice Shriver's
bedside-LA Times, August 8,
2009). Maria
Shriver, her husband, Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger and other members of the
Shriver and Kennedy clan arrived at Eunice
Shriver's bedside at Cape
Cod Hospital in
Barnstable,
Massachusetts. Eunice
Kennedy Shriver passed away in the early
morning hours of August 11, 2009, at the
age of 88, with her family at her
bedside. Condolences
poured in from around the world upon the
news of Eunice Shriver's death. In
particular, Special Olympians and their
families expressed deep regret over her
death, but great joy in the positive work
that she did for the disabled. On August
11, 2009, President Obama released
a
statement expressing his
condolences. On January
18, 2011, her beloved husband,
Sargent
Shriver,
passed away at the age of 95. Party
Affiliation:
Democrat Eunice Kennedy Shriver never held
poltical office, but has led a very
poltical life, as befitting a
Kennedy. 1960: Actively campaigned for her
brother, John, as he successfully ran
for President. 1970: Eunice's husband, Sargent
Shriver, ran for the office of Maryland
Governor 1972: Eunice's husband, Sargent
Shriver, ran for Vice-President as the
running mate to George McGovern. They
lost to the Nixon/Agnew ticket. 1976: Eunice's husband, Sargent
Shriver, ran for the Democrtic Party's
Presidential nomination. 1992: Joined several other prominent
Democrats in signing a public letter to
the New York Times, in protest of the
Democratic Party's pro-abortion plank
in the party's official platform. This
occurred during Bill Clinton's first
campaign for President. 2003: Supported her son-in-law,
Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his
successful election to the governship
of California. 2008: Joined other Kennedy family
members on stage as her brother,
Senator Ted Kennedy, vocally announced
his support for Barack Obama's campaign
for the Democratic nomination against
Senator Hillary Clinton. Links
and Resources: Special
Olympics (official website) Eunice
Kennedy Shriver-Wikipedia
article Eunice
Kennedy Shriver National Institute of
Child Health and Human
Development--History and
overview R(obert)
Sargent Shriver: Papers (#214)-An
Inventory of His Personal Papers,
1948-1976 In the John F. Kennedy
Library, National Archives and Records
Administration J.F.K.
Would Have Defended Bishops' Right to
Fight Abortion--Letter to the New
York Times from Eunice Kennedy Shriver,
May 13, 1990 The
Silent Kennedy--New York Times,
January 10, 2005 Eunice
Kennedy Shriver's Olympic
Legacy--NPR, April 5, 2007 Eunice
Kennedy Shriver dies at 88--CNN,
August 11, 2009 Eunice
Kennedy Shriver's Faithful
Service--by Sally Quinn, Washington
Post, August 11, 2009 Obama
calls Shriver 'an extraordinary
woman'--Forbes.com, August 11,
2009 "The
History Guy" is a Registered Trademark. Contact
the webmaster |
Family Joseph
P. Kennedy, Sr. (September 6,
1888 – November 18,
1969)--Father Rose
Fitzgerald Kennedy ( July 22,
1890–January 22,
1995)--Mother Robert
Sargent Shriver,
Jr.
(b. November 9, 1915)
--Husband
(wed on May 23, 1953) Notable
Ancestors Children Maria
Owings Shriver
(b.
November 6,
1955)
--Daughter,
Married to Governor
Arnold Schwarzenneger Timothy
Perry Shriver (August 29,
1959)--Son Mark
Kennedy Shriver (b. February
17, 1964)
--Son Anthony
Paul Kennedy Shriver (b. July
20,
1965)--Son Siblings John
F. "Jack" Kennedy (May 29,
1917–November 22, 1963)
-- Rosemary
Kennedy (September 13, 1918
– January 7,
2005) -- Kathleen
Kennedy (February 20, 1920
– May 13,
1948)-- Patricia
Kennedy (May 6, 1924 –
September 17, 2006)
-- Robert
F. "Bobby" Kennedy (November
20, 1925–June 6,
1968)-- Jean
Kennedy (b. February 20,
1928) -- Edward
"Ted" Kennedy
(
February 22, 1932-August 25,
2009)--- Religion:
Education: 1944:
BS in Social Science/Social
Thought Stanford
University Career/Occupation: 1947-1948:
Department of Justice as
executive secretary for the
National Conference on
Prevention and Control of
Juvenile
Delinquency 1950:
Social Worker at the Federal
Industrial Institution for
Women in Alderson, West
Virginia 1951:
Social Worker at the House of
the Good Shepherd and for the
Chicago Juvenile
Court 1957:
Executive Vice-President of
the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
Foundation, a charitable
organization established by
the Kennedy family to research
the causes of disabilities and
to improve the treatment of
disabled people 1961:
President of the Joseph P.
Kennedy Jr.
Foundation 1981:
Eunice Shriver began the
Community of Caring program
with the goal to reduce
disabilities among babies born
to teen mothers. Eventually,
this led to the Community of
Caring programs in 1,200
public and private schools
from 1990 to
2006. Political
Career: Party
Affiliation:
Democrat 1960: Actively campaigned
for her brother, John, as he
successfully ran for
President. 1970: Eunice's husband,
Sargent Shriver, ran for the
office of Maryland
Governor 1972: Eunice's husband,
Sargent Shriver, ran for
Vice-President as the running
mate to George McGovern. They
lost to the Nixon/Agnew
ticket. 1976: Eunice's husband,
Sargent Shriver, ran for the
Democrtic Party's Presidential
nomination. 1992: Joined several other
prominent Democrats in signing
a public letter to the New
York Times, in protest of the
Democratic Party's
pro-abortion plank in the
party's official platform.
This occurred during Bill
Clinton's first campaign for
President. 2003: Supported her
son-in-law, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, in his
successful election to the
governship of California. 2008: Joined other Kennedy
family members on stage as her
brother, Senator Ted Kennedy,
vocally announced his support
for Barack Obama's campaign
for the Democratic nomination
against Senator Hillary
Clinton. Clubs
and Organizations
(membership): --The
Susan B. Anthony
List --Democrats
for Life of
America. Links
and Resources on Eunice Kennedy
Shriver Eunice
Kennedy Shriver
(official website) Eunice
Kennedy Shriver National Institute of
Child Health and Human
Development--History
and overview. Eunice
Kennedy Shriver's Olympic
Legacy--NPR,
April 5, 2007 J.F.K.
Would Have Defended Bishops' Right to
Fight
Abortion--Letter
to the New York Times from Eunice Kennedy
Shriver, May 13, 1990 Eunice
Kennedy
Shriver-Wikipedia
article R(obert)
Sargent Shriver: Papers
(#214)-An
Inventory of His Personal Papers,
1948-1976 In the John F. Kennedy Library,
National Archives and Records
Administration Site
Map--revision
in progress |
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