Maria Shriver

Maria Shriver

Incumbent
Assumed office 
November 17, 2003
Preceded by Sharon Davis
Born November 6, 1955 (1955-11-06) (age 55)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Arnold Schwarzenegger (1986–present)
Relations Parents: Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Siblings: Anthony Shriver, Bobby Shriver, Mark Shriver, Timothy Shriver
Aunts: Patricia Kennedy Lawford,Jacqueline Kennedy, Rosemary Kennedy, Jean Kennedy Smith
Uncles: Edward M. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy
see Kennedy family
Children Katherine (born 1989)
Christina (born 1991)
Patrick (born 1993)
Christopher (born 1997)
Residence Brentwood, Los Angeles, California
Alma mater Georgetown University
Profession Journalist, Author
Religion Roman Catholic

Maria Owings Shriver (pronounced /ˈʃraɪvər/; born November 6, 1955)[1] is an American award-winning journalist and author of six best-selling books. She has won a Peabody Award, and was co-anchor for NBC's Emmy-winning coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics. As executive producer of The Alzheimer's Project, Shriver earned two Emmy Awards and an Academy of Television Arts & Sciences award for a "television show with a conscience".[2] She is the First Lady of California, married to actor and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and is a member of the Kennedy family.

Contents

Early life

Shriver was born in Chicago, Illinois. A Roman Catholic of German descent through her father and Irish American descent through her mother, she is the second child and only daughter of the politician Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Eunice was the sister of United States President John F. Kennedy, U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy and five other siblings. Shriver attended Westland Middle School in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC, and graduated in 1973 from Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda. She received a bachelor of arts degree in American studies from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., in June 1977.

Personal life

In 1977, Tom Brokaw introduced Maria to Austrian bodybuilder and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger at a charity tennis tournament being held at her mother Eunice Kennedy Shriver's home. She married Schwarzenegger on April 26, 1986 in Hyannis, Massachusetts, at St. Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church.[3] They have four children: Katherine Eunice Schwarzenegger (born December 13, 1989 in Los Angeles, California); Christina Maria Aurelia Schwarzenegger (born July 23, 1991 in Los Angeles, California);[4] Patrick Arnold Shriver Schwarzenegger (born September 18, 1993 in Los Angeles, California);[5] and Christopher Sargent Shriver Schwarzenegger[6] (born September 27, 1997 in Los Angeles, California).[7]

The Saint John's Health Center has a nursery named after Shriver.[8][9]

Shriver has been a lifelong advocate for people with mental disabilities. She is a member of the International Board of Special Olympics, the organization her mother founded in 1968.[10] She is also on the advisory board of Best Buddies, a one-to-one friendship and jobs program for people with intellectual disabilities.[11] In addition, Shriver serves as Chair of the Audi Best Buddies Challenge: Hearst Castle, a bike ride that raises millions of dollars for programs supporting people with intellectual disabilities. As First Lady, Shriver has been instrumental in the hiring of individuals with intellectual disabilities in the capitol and in various state offices through her WE Include program.[12]

Career

In her book Ten Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Went Out Into The Real World (2000), Shriver says that she became passionate about broadcast journalism after being sent to the back of the campaign plane with the press corps when volunteering for her father's 1972 U.S. vice-presidential race, calling these orders "the best thing that ever happened to me." After her journalism career began with KYW-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she co-anchored the CBS Morning News with Forrest Sawyer from 1985 until 1987, co-anchored NBC News's Sunday Today and weekend editions of NBC Nightly News from 1987 until 1989, and was a contributing anchor on Dateline NBC from 1989 until 2004. In August 2003, Shriver took an unpaid leave of absence from NBC News when her husband became a candidate in the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election.

Upon her husband's November 17, 2003, inauguration as the 38th Governor of California, she became the First Lady of California. She then returned to reporting, making two more appearances for Dateline NBC.

On February 3, 2004, Shriver asked to be "relieved of [her] duties at NBC News," citing concerns the network had over the conflict of interest between her role as a journalist and her status as the First Lady of California and her increasing role as an advocate of her husband's administration.[13]

She appeared as herself in the film Last Action Hero (1993). She also played a minor role as herself in "Be Prepared", a 2006 episode of the television series That's So Raven promoting a "Preparedness Plan". On March 23, 2007, Shriver returned to television news as substitute host of panel-discussion talk show Larry King Live on CNN with musician Sheryl Crow and other guests.

Shriver announced that she will not return to news media after the excessive media coverage of the death of Anna Nicole Smith.[14][15]

In 2008, Shriver executive-produced American Idealist: The Story of Sargent Shriver.[16] The documentary originally aired on PBS on January 21, 2008.[17] The film chronicled the life, accomplishments and vision of her father, Sargent Shriver.

In February 2008, Shriver launched an ice cream company called Lovin' Scoopful with her brother, Tim Shriver. 25% of the proceeds from Lovin' Scoopful benefits the Special Olympics.[18]

Shriver executive-produced The Alzheimer's Project, a four-part documentary series that premiered on HBO in May 2009[19] and later earned two Emmy Awards.[20] It was described by the Los Angeles Times as "ambitious, disturbing, emotionally fraught and carefully optimistic".[21] The series took a close look at cutting-edge research being done in the country's leading Alzheimer's laboratories. The documentary also examined the effects of this disease on patients and families. One of the Emmy Award-winning films, Grandpa, Do you Know Who I Am? is based on Shriver's best-selling children's book dealing with Alzheimer's.[22]

In October 2009, Shriver launched "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Changes Everything," a national study and comprehensive report conducted in partnership with the Center for American Progress, USC's Annenberg Center on Communication, Leadership and Policy, and the Rockefeller Foundation. The Shriver Report revealed that American woman, for the first time, make up half of the United States workforce and studied how that fact is impacting major institutions like family, business, government and faith organizations.[23] The report was released last year in partnership with Time magazine[24] and NBC News.[25] According to the New York Times, the report "was modeled on a study undertaken almost 50 years ago during the administration of John F. Kennedy, Ms. Shriver's uncle, and led by Eleanor Roosevelt."[26]

First Lady of California

During her husband's tenure as the Governor of California, Shriver was initially tentative in her role as the Governor's wife. Some speculated that she felt that her husband would not attempt to gain the Governor's seat in the recall election that drove Gray Davis from office. When Arnold announced his candidacy on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, she supported his candidacy. As her husband proposed a series of California ballot initiatives in November 2005, she decided to forgo any public support of her husband's proposals. Since Governor Schwarzenegger took office, Maria has continued to support her husband and has taken on several key initiatives as first lady—raising awareness of the contributions of women to the state, working on practical solutions to end cycles of poverty and encouraging all Californians to engage in acts of service to their communities. Once Schwarzenegger was elected, Shriver had to cut back on her news reporting in order to avoid conflicts of interest.[27]

Shriver has been leading the California Governor & First Lady's Conference on Women since Governor Schwarzenegger took office in 2003. Under her leadership, The Women's Conference event has grown into the nation's premier forum for women and now attracts more than 30,000 attendees and 100 world opinion leaders over two full days. Each year, the event has been held at the Long Beach Convention Center in October.[28] The event aims to inspire, empower and educate women to be Architects of Change.[29]Hundreds of luminaries have spoken at the conference including Oprah Winfrey, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and Madeleine Albright, Barbara Walters, Warren Buffett, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Richard Branson, Bono, Billie Jean King, Gloria Steinem, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.[30][31] She has been known to be a marijuana advocate and has stated many times that she will vote for its legalization on the November 2010 ballot.

In 2004, Shriver created The Minerva Awards to honor and reward "remarkable California women" who have changed their communities, their state, their country and the world with their courage, wisdom and strength.[32] The Minerva Awards are named after Minerva, the Roman goddess who adorns the California State Seal and "who symbolizes the dual nature of women as warriors and peacemakers".[33] The Minerva Awards are presented annually at The Women's Conference in Long Beach during a special ceremony. Recipients of the award also receive a grant to continue their work.[34] Past Minerva Awards recipients include former first lady Betty Ford, Nancy Pelosi, Gloria Steinem, Billie Jean King, astronaut Sally Ride and the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Shriver's mother.The achievements of The Minerva Award winners are chronicled in a permanent exhibit at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts in Sacramento and have become part of California’s official state archive.[35]

In 2005, Shriver launched her WE Connect Program, which connects working families in need with money-saving programs and support services. WE Connect brings together community organizations and businesses, government agencies and state leaders, congregations and schools as partners in responding to the needs for the millions of individuals and families who are struggling to make ends meet. Through a partnership with La Opinion, the nation’s largest Spanish-speaking newspaper, WE Connect has developed three editions of a 24-page, full color, bi-lingual supplement that has been circulated to over 20 million Californians in need. In December 2009, Shriver, in partnership with The Women's Conference, created the WE Connect–Million Meals Initiative.[36] Through this initiative, The Women's Conference made a donation to The California Association of Food Banks to provide more than one million meals to California families in need.[37] The donation was allocated to the food bank's 44 member organizations who then distributed the food to California families through its more than 5,000 community-based organizations.[38] In March 2010, Shriver held a three-day Community Resources Fair in Fresno and Los Angeles through WE Connect. The fairs provided vital programs and free support services such as tax preparation, housing and home foreclosure assistance, job assistance, flu shots, healthy food distribution and more.[39] Event organizers estimated that over 40,000 individuals took advantage of free services during the course of the two weekends and hundreds of thousands pounds of food were distributed.[40]

As First Lady, Shriver has worked to promote service and volunteerism. As Honorary Chair of CaliforniaVolunteers, Shriver conceived of and launched the largest statewide volunteer matching network at CaliforniaVolunteers.org. Shriver was instrumental in inspiring Governor Schwarzenegger to establish the nation’s first state cabinet-level Department of Service and Volunteering.[41] She also has pioneered and promoted a statewide disaster preparedness program called WE Prepare that encourages and educates Californians to “Be Ready” for an emergency or natural disaster. In addition, Shriver established WE Build and WE Garden, a children’s playground and community garden-building initiative. Through CaliforniaVolunteers, Shriver has built 31 playgrounds with gardens in lower-income communities around the state in partnership with KaBOOM!.[42]

In 2008, Shriver launched her WE Invest Program, which provides training, mentoring, support networks, microloans and other resources to help women launch or grow their businesses. In June 2009, she expanded WE Invest nationally through a partnership with Kiva.org, creating the first-ever online peer-to-peer microlending program in the U.S.[43] Shriver is credited with coming up with the idea to bring Kiva's international micro-lending model to the U.S.[44][45]

Shriver is Co-Chair of The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts[46] and she has been credited with revitalizing the state museum during her tenure. Shriver created the California Hall of Fame in 2006[47] at the Museum to honor legendary Californians such as Cesar Chavez, Clint Eastwood, Walt Disney, Amelia Earhart, Ronald Reagan, John Steinbeck, Rita Moreno, Earl Warren, Julia Morgan, Leland Stanford, Dorothea Lange and others.[48] In November 2008, Shriver launched the California Legacy Trails, a first-of-its-kind web-based multimedia learning tool designed to help student learn California history.[49][50]

On February 3, 2008, Shriver endorsed Senator Barack Obama for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. The endorsement was given at a UCLA rally featuring her cousin Caroline Kennedy, Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder and the candidate's spouse, Michelle Obama.[51][52] Governor Schwarzenegger had previously endorsed Senator John McCain for the Republican presidential nomination a few days earlier on January 31, 2008.[53]

In May 2009, Shriver planted the first edible garden at a state capitol in what once was a flower bed. She teamed up with Alice Waters on the project.[54] The food grown in the organic garden is distibuted to local food banks.[55] Shriver has been an advocate for edible gardens and chairs the California School Garden Network that has doubled the number of gardens in state schools from 3,000 to 6,000 since 2004.[56]

Honors

A type of rose was named after Shriver in October 2004. The Maria Shriver rose has starchy-white blooms and a powerful citrus fragrance.[57]

As executive producer of The Alzheimer's Project, Shriver earned two Emmy Awards and an Academy of Television Arts & Sciences award for a "television show with a conscience".[58]

In 2009, Shriver was honored with the Shinnyo-en Foundation’s 2009 Pathfinders to Peace Award, which is bestowed annually to a person who exemplifies the ideals of compassion, harmony and peace.[59] At the presentation ceremony honoring Shriver, the foundation’s chief executive said, “Maria Shriver sees the best in other people – their innate goodness – and inspires them to become their own 'Architects of Change'. In a world that glorifies ambition at any cost, Maria instead teaches character. She is a woman of quiet strength who role-models kindness and charity, and has used her celebrity to help create peace in the world.”[60]

She has won Peabody and Emmy awards for her television journalism.[61]

Books

See also

References

  1. ↑ Shriver known for her political bloodlines (October 9, 2003) Sydney Morning Herald. Accessed 2008-02-05.
  2. ↑ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/07/AR2010050701362.html Shriver, Gore honored by TV academy
  3. ↑ Maria Owings Shriver Wed To Arnold Schwarzenegger
  4. ↑ Pace, Eric (July 24, 1991). "Chronicle". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE0DD1E3DF937A15754C0A967958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fS%2fSchwarzenegger%2c%20Arnold. Retrieved May 12, 2010. 
  5. ↑ Brozan, Nadine (September 21, 1993). "Chronicle". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE6DB1430F932A1575AC0A965958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fS%2fShriver%2c%20Maria. Retrieved May 12, 2010. 
  6. ↑ Brozan, Nadine (November 26, 1997). "Chronicle". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F03E2DD143AF935A15752C1A961958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fS%2fShriver%2c%20Maria. Retrieved May 12, 2010. 
  7. ↑ Brozan, Nadine (September 30, 1997). "Chronicle". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00E3D8103AF933A0575AC0A961958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fS%2fShriver%2c%20Maria. Retrieved May 12, 2010. 
  8. ↑ Saint John's Health Center - The Maria Shriver Nursery
  9. ↑ Access Hollywood
  10. ↑ Special Olympics Torch Lights Eunice Kennedy Shriver's Funeral
  11. ↑ Shriver's legacy lives on through Best Buddies
  12. ↑ http://www.weinclude.ca.gov/
  13. ↑ Terminated
  14. ↑ "Maria Shriver won't return to NBC News". Associated Press. USA Today. October 24, 2007. http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2007-10-24-shriver-NBC_N.htm?csp=34. Retrieved April 28, 2008. 
  15. ↑ Tanner, Adam (May 16, 2007). "Shriver says Anna Nicole frenzy ended her TV return". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/televisionNews/idUSN1546390720070516. Retrieved April 28, 2008. 
  16. ↑ http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/criticscorner/2008-01-20-critics-corner_N.htm?csp=34
  17. ↑ http://www.americanidealistmovie.org/
  18. ↑ Using Ice Cream for Good: How Lovin' Scoopful is Working for the Special Olympics
  19. ↑ HBO Documentaries: The Alzheimer's Project
  20. ↑ [1]
  21. ↑ 'The Alzheimer's Project'
  22. ↑ Maria Shriver Turns Spotlight On Alzheimer's
  23. ↑ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33247001/
  24. ↑ The American Woman
  25. ↑ A Woman's Nation
  26. ↑ NBC Plans Special Week of Coverage on Women
  27. ↑ "In Step With: Maria Shriver". Parade Magazine. April 10, 2005. http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2005/edition_04-10-2005/in_step_with_1. 
  28. ↑ Women's Conference's future in Long Beach uncertain after 2010
  29. ↑ Maria Shriver, Meghan McCain Helping Women Find Voices
  30. ↑ Maria Shriver Announces Her Women's Conference Lineup
  31. ↑ Maria Shriver Announces Star-Studded Women's Conference
  32. ↑ 'Remarkable California women' honored with Minerva Awards
  33. ↑ Betty Chinn accepts Minerva Award, wins over crowd
  34. ↑ 'A tsunami of hope': Maria Shriver cuts ribbon on Eureka's first public shower facility
  35. ↑ http://www.californiamuseum.org/exhibits/minerva-awards
  36. ↑ One Million Meals for Families in Need
  37. ↑ http://www.times-standard.com/ci_13975658
  38. ↑ Gov. visits Bay Area in effort to feed the hungry
  39. ↑ Maria Shriver At "We Connect Weekend" In Fresno
  40. ↑ Maria Shriver Talks About 'We Connect Weekend'
  41. ↑ California Creates Cabinet Post to Manage Volunteers
  42. ↑ Obama and Maria Shriver: Making space for play -- for all generations
  43. ↑ Strategies: Shriver's big on small loans, for good reason
  44. ↑ Strategies: Shriver's big on small loans, for good reason
  45. ↑ Kiva Brings Microlending Home To U.S. Entrepreneurs In Need
  46. ↑ http://www.californiamuseum.org/
  47. ↑ http://www.californiamuseum.org/exhibits/halloffame/history
  48. ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/2009/nov/26/local/la-me-cap26-2009nov26
  49. ↑ Maria Shriver Touts New Online Learning Tool
  50. ↑ https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/pdfs/200811/111708CaliforniaMuseum.pdf
  51. ↑ Maria Shriver Backs Obama
  52. ↑ Breaking: California First Lady Maria Shriver Endorses Barack Obama
  53. ↑ Shriver Backs Obama
  54. ↑ Capitol edible garden arrives with star power
  55. ↑ http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/7952 Shriver Gets Her Hands Dirty
  56. ↑ http://articles.latimes.com/2009/mar/27/local/me-garden27 Maria Shriver says edible garden will be planted in Capitol Park flower bed
  57. ↑ Rose named in honor of Maria Shriver
  58. ↑ http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/36997744/ns/today-entertainment/ Shriver, Gore honored by TV academy
  59. ↑ Shinnyo-en Foundation names UC Berkeley chancellor and Maria Shriver its 2009 'Pathfinders to Peace'
  60. ↑ Maria Shriver receiving Shinnyo-en Foundation's Award at 2009 NCVS
  61. ↑ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3949468/

External links

Official
Unofficial
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Sharon Ryer Davis		 First Lady of California
2003–present		 Incumbent
Current First Ladies and Gentlemen of U.S. states and territories
AL Riley
AK Parnell
AZ Brewer
AR Beebe
CA Shriver
CO Ritter
CT Rell
DE Markell
FL Crist
GA Perdue
HI None
ID Easley
IL None
IN Daniels
IA Culver
KS Parkinson
KY Beshear
LA Jindal
ME Baldacci
MD O'Malley
MA Patrick
MI Mulhern
MN Pawlenty
MS Barbour
MO Nixon
MT Schweitzer
NE Heineman
NV None
NH Lynch
NJ Christie
NM Richardson
NY Paterson
NC Eaves
ND Hoeven
OH Strickland
OK Henry
OR Kulongoski
PA Rendell
RI Carcieri
SC None
SD Rounds
TN Conte
TX Perry
UT Herbert
VT Douglas
VA McDonnell
WA Gregoire
WV Jaeger
WI Doyle
WY Freudenthal
DC Fenty

Territories:
AS Tulafono
GU Camacho
MP Fitial
PR Vela de Fortuño
VI de Jongh
Kennedy family
Ancestors of
James Kennedy and Maria Kennedy parents of
--- Patrick Kennedy (m.) Bridget Murphy parents of
------ P. J. Kennedy (m.) Mary Augusta Hickey parents of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald
(1890–1995)
Philip and Mary Cox • Thomas Fitzgerald and Rosanna Cox • Michael Hannon and Mary Ann Fitzgerald • John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald (m.) Mary Josephine Hannon parents of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
Children of
Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy
(in birth order) Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Jr. • John Fitzgerald Kennedy (m.) Jacqueline Lee Bouvier • Rose Marie "Rosemary" Kennedy • Kathleen Agnes Kennedy (m.) William John Robert Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington • Eunice Mary Kennedy (m.) Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr. • Patricia Kennedy (m./div.) Peter Lawford • Robert Francis Kennedy (m.) Ethel Skakel • Jean Ann Kennedy (m.) Stephen Edward Smith • Edward Moore Kennedy (m./div. 1st) Virginia Joan Bennett; (m. 2nd) Victoria Anne Reggie
Descendants
(in birth order)
Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Jr. (1915–1944)
None
Arabella Kennedy • Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (m.) Edwin Arthur Schlossberg • John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Jr. (m.) Carolyn Jeanne Bessette • Patrick Bouvier Kennedy
Rose Marie Kennedy (1918–2005)
None
Kathleen Cavendish, Marchioness
of Hartington (1920–1948)
None
Eunice Kennedy Shriver (1921–2009)
Robert Sargent Shriver III (m.) Malissa Feruzzi • Maria Owings Shriver (m.) Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger • Timothy Perry Shriver (m.) Linda Potter • Mark Kennedy Shriver (m.) Jeannie Eileen Ripp • Anthony Paul Kennedy Shriver (m.) Alina Mojica
Patricia Kennedy Lawford (1924–2006)
Christopher Kennedy Lawford • Sydney Maleia Kennedy Lawford • Victoria Francis Lawford • Robin Elizabeth Lawford
Kathleen Hartington Kennedy (m.) David Lee Townsend • Joseph Patrick Kennedy II (m./div. 1st) Sheila Brewster Rauch; (m. 2nd) Anne Elizabeth "Beth" Kelly • Robert Francis Kennedy, Jr. (m./div. 1st) Emily Ruth Black (m. 2nd) Mary Richardson • David Anthony Kennedy • Mary Courtney Kennedy (m/div. 1st) Jeffrey Robert Ruhe; (m./sep. 2nd) Paul Michael Hill • Michael LeMoyne Kennedy (m.) Victoria Denise Gifford • Mary Kerry Kennedy (m./div.) Andrew Mark Cuomo • Christopher George Kennedy (m.) Sheila Sinclair Berner • Matthew Maxwell Taylor Kennedy (m.) Victoria Anne Strauss • Douglas Harriman Kennedy (m.) Molly Elizabeth Stark • Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy (m.) Mark Bailey
Jean Kennedy Smith (born 1928)
Stephen Edward Smith, Jr. • William Kennedy Smith • Amanda Mary Smith • Kym Maria Smith
Edward Moore Kennedy (1932–2009)
Kara Anne Kennedy (m.) Michael Allen • Edward Moore Kennedy, Jr. (m.) Katherine Anne "Kiki" Gershman • Patrick Joseph Kennedy
m. = married; div. = divorced; sep. = separated.