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Linda McMahon
Born
Linda Marie Edwards

(1948-10-04) October 4, 1948 (age 76)
New Bern, North Carolina, U.S.
Alma materEast Carolina University
Occupation(s)Business Manager of WWE (1980–2009)
President of WWE (1993–2000)
CEO of WWE (1997–2009)
Political partyRepublican
Board member ofSacred Heart University (2004–present)
Connecticut State Board of Education (2009–2010)
SpouseVince McMahon (1966–present)
ChildrenShane
Stephanie

Linda Marie McMahon (née Edwards; born October 4, 1948) is an American professional wrestling magnate and a Republican Party politician.[1] She is notable for her career developing the WWE with her husband Vince McMahon. She left WWE in 2009 to run unsuccessfully for a seat in the United States Senate from Connecticut, losing to Democratic Party nominee Richard Blumenthal in the general election.[2] McMahon is the 2012 Republican nominee for Connecticut's other Senate seat to replace retiring Senator Joe Lieberman in the general election in November 2012 and is running against U.S. Congressman Chris Murphy.

McMahon was active with the WWE, renamed from the original WWF in 2002, from 1980 to 2009. During this time, the company grew from a small regional business in New York to a large multinational. McMahon and her husband became wealthy through the WWE's success, and the McMahon family name is now synonymous with the wrestling industry.[3] As President and later CEO of the company, she negotiated business deals, launched wrestling merchandise, signed wrestler contracts, and managed and wrote for WWE publications.[4] She also started the company's civic programs, Get REAL and Smackdown Your Vote. McMahon has occasionally performed in the ring, most notably in a wrestling feud with her husband which climaxed at WrestleMania 17.

In the 2010 Senate campaign, McMahon won the Republican primary and faced Democrat Richard Blumenthal. At one point in the campaign, she approached within three points of Blumenthal, but she lost on election day by 12 percent.[5]

Early life

McMahon was born Linda Marie Edwards[6] to Henry and Evelyn Edwards in New Bern, North Carolina.[7][8] She was an only child and grew up as a "jock", playing basketball and baseball. Her parents were both employees Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, a military base. She grew up in a traditional, conservative family and was raised a Baptist.[9] Edwards, at the age of 13, met Vince McMahon, then 16.[10][11] Her mother worked in the same building as McMahon's mother, although they had not met.

Linda McMahon's parents were both employees at nearby Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point

Vince's mother became good friends with the Edwards family, and Vince, who had lived with several abusive stepfathers,[8] enjoyed the feeling of stability that he felt at the home.[8] Edwards and McMahon dated throughout their high school years. She attended Havelock High School and Vince attended nearby Fishburne Military School. During this time, Vince was a "permanent fixture" at her home,[12] spending hours with Linda and her family. He attended East Carolina University, studying business administration. Edwards was an Honors student in high school and aspired to become a pediatrician.[13] Shortly after her high school graduation, Vince asked her to marry him. They married on August 26, 1966, when she was 17.[10][14] She enrolled at East Carolina University in 1966, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in French and gained certification to teach.[15] From 1968-1971, Vince worked as a traveling cup salesman before joining his father's company, the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF).[16] Linda finished college in three years so she could graduate together with Vince. Their son Shane was born in 1970 followed by daughter Stephanie in 1976.

Early career

In 1969 the McMahons moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland and Vince began working as an independent promoter with his father’s company, Capitol Wrestling, located in Washington, D.C. Linda worked as a receptionist at the corporate law firm of Covington & Burling. She translated French documents and trained as a paralegal in the probate department. Linda learned a great deal about intellectual property rights, which she found useful in her later career.[4][17]

Financially, the couple fared poorly for several years, and in 1976, while pregnant with Stephanie, Linda and her husband filed for bankruptcy. They also briefly received food stamps,[18] until her husband took on a 90-hour a week job at a quarry.[19]

By 1979 Vince had decided to start his own wrestling company. He purchased the Cape Cod Coliseum in Massachusetts and founded Titan Sports, Inc. in 1980. Vince and Linda held small hockey and other sporting events in addition to wrestling at the Cape Cod Coliseum. At one point, Linda cooked meatball sandwiches to feed the fans at these sporting events.[20] As the company grew, Linda assisted Vince with administration and used her knowledge of intellectual property law to assist in trademark protection for the company. However, during much of these early years, Linda personally had little interest in professional wrestling.[21]

In 1982, Vince McMahon purchased Capitol Wrestling, better known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation, from his father. This made Vince the owner of a large regional wrestling company, well-established in the Northeast. He later expanded his market by airing WWF shows on national television.

In 1983 the McMahons moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, where they continue to reside as of 2012. McMahon has 6 grandchildren.

World Wrestling Entertainment

Corporate

Main article: History of WWE

Linda and Vince founded Titan Sports, Inc. in 1980.[22] Many workers in the company referred to her as the “co-chief executive”.[23] Linda became President and CEO of the company in 1993.[24] The company's explosive growth and the way it transformed the wrestling industry caused some observers to label her and Vince "business geniuses".[25]

One of Linda’s major interests in WWF and WWE was product merchandising.[26] She negotiated many of the company’s business deals with outside vendors, establishing the company’s first line of action figures, Wrestling Superstars, in 1984.[27] It was a first in the wrestling industry and helped expand the company’s popularity to children. She also was the primary negotiator for the World Wrestling Federation's 2000 TV deal with Viacom.[27]

During an interview with the Detroit News, when asked what it was like being CEO in a "testosterone-charged industry", McMahon replied, "It's lots of fun. I'm an only child, so I grew up as my father's son and mother's daughter. I was quite a jock. I played baseball, basketball—I think that background made Vince and I very compatible. I really have a very good understanding of the male psyche—I'm very comfortable in a guy environment. I have to say that there are very strong women in this company as well. Our human resources division and our consumer goods division are headed by women—It's still a testosterone business, and I like it."[10]

Tom Cole

In February 1992, Tom Cole, a young WWF employee whose job was to set up the wrestling ring, alleged that he had been sexually harassed by several company employees.

According to Politico.com, "the WWF fired two men accused of harassing the young 'ring boys' who followed the wrestling circuit from city to city, and accepted the resignation of a third". "Modest" settlements were paid to three ring boys.[28] Cole said that Linda encouraged him to share any information he had regarding the Federal steroid investigation.[28] In 1993, Cole enrolled in college at the company's expense, but after a year of failing grades he was terminated in June 1993.[28] After he filed for unemployment, Linda McMahon repeatedly challenged him at unemployment hearings with a company lawyer. Cole successfully received unemployment benefits from the company until 1995.[29]

Cole's story raised questions, however, because he never filed a criminal complaint, came forward only long after the alleged incidents took place and later returned to work with one of the alleged harassers.[28]

In a 1999 interview, Cole said he was bitter at Linda,[29] but in 2010, after Politico attempted to contact him, Cole released an email through the WWE praising her. In the email he said, “I can truly say without hesitation I’m thankful for how Linda handled my situation. Without me going out into the world and finding myself, God knows where I'd be. I'm sending a check to Linda's campaign fund this evening. She is after all my favorite type of Politician...Fiscally Sound. As a life long Republican I hope she wins.”[28]

Steroids and the WWE

Linda became President of the WWF in 1993. At the time, Vince had been indicted on charges he distributed steroids to his wrestlers.[30] Steroid usage was rampant in the wrestling industry during the 1980s, but after passage of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, it became an illicit substance. The Act passed in 1988 making possession and distribution of anabolic steroids a federal crime.[31] Federal drug enforcement agencies collected evidence on the WWF beginning in 1989, using undercover informants to expose a drug ring inside the company. The FBI and FDA arrested the WWF’s staff doctor, George Zahorian, in May 1990, after months of undercover steroid purchases from him.[32] On May 27, 1990, they put a microphone on informant William Dunn, a strength trainer from North Carolina, and recorded his conversation with Zahorian during a steroid transaction worth $7,000. After Dunn made his purchase, agents arrested Zahorian and charged him with drug distribution.[30]

Zahorian went on trial in February 1991, facing drug charges carrying up to 40 years in jail. His trial was widely publicized because wrestlers Brian Blair, Rick Martel, Roddy Piper, and Dan Spivey testified, saying they had purchased steroids from Zahorian after 1988.[30] Billy Graham, who used steroids for many years, testified to buying steroids from Zahorian and said he became sterile, had liver problems, and suffered a degenerative bone disease as a result. Zahorian’s lawyer said he was the first doctor to be charged under the Anti-Drug Abuse Act and had no way of knowing the law had changed. He was found guilty in 1991 of 12 counts of drug distribution (8 for steroids, 4 for illegally-prescribed painkillers) and was sentenced to 3 years in prison.[33][relevant?]

In 1991, Vince announced that the company would begin testing its wrestlers for steroids.[34][35] Two wrestlers, The British Bulldog and Chris Walker, were suspended in May 1992 for violating the policy. The World Bodybuilding Federation, a bodybuilding enterprise started by Vince, was entirely shut down as a result of ongoing steroid abuse. Vince was indicted in 1993 on steroid distribution charges using evidence from Zahorian's case. During his trial, testimony from wrestlers and drug investigators proved that many of the WWF's top stars, including Hulk Hogan, were using steroids to enhance their physiques. Hogan admitted to using steroids during the trial, saying it had been a part of his training regimen for over 13 years, but Vince never had encouraged him to use them.[36][37] Because of Hogan's testimony,[38] Vince was acquitted of all charges. The jury ruled that steroid use had been an individual choice, not a company policy.[37]

Linda's Memorandum to Pat Patterson

During the trial, prosecutors revealed a 1989 memo Linda wrote to the company's Vice President, Pat Patterson. The memo directed Patterson to fire Zahorian and inform him of imminent legal charges charging him with steroid distribution.[39]

"Although you and I discussed before about continuing to have Zahorian at our events as the doctor on call, I think that is now not a good idea. Vince agreed, and would like for you to call Zahorian and to tell him not to come to any more of our events and to also clue him in on any action that the Justice Department is thinking of taking."

— Linda McMahon, Memo dated Dec. 1989[33]

Zahorian stated that he received a call from Patterson about a possible criminal investigation, and after their conversation, he immediately brought all documents related to the WWF to a lawyer.[40] Hulk Hogan, who was receiving steroids from the doctor, said he severed ties to the doctor after a conversation with Patterson.[41]

Linda's memo to Patterson became known publicly as the "Tip-Off Memo" during her campaign for Senate in 2010.[42] It became a political liability used against her in both the nomination and general election campaigns.[43][44]

Federal steroids investigation (2007–2009)
Letter written by Rep. Henry Waxman to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which said drug use was "pervasive" in both WWE and TNA
Main article: WWE's Wellness Program

Following the murder-suicide of Chris Benoit in 2007, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee investigated steroid usage in the wrestling industry.[45] The Committee investigated WWE and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), asking for documentation of their companies' drug policies. Linda and Vince both testified. The documents stated that 75 wrestlers—roughly 40 percent—had tested positive for drug use since 2006, most commonly for steroids.[46][47]

Committee Chairman Henry Waxman sent a scathing letter to the Office of National Drug Control Policy in January 2009 stating that drug use was "pervasive" in professional wrestling.[48] The issue lay unresolved when Waxman left the Committee on January 3, 2009 to pursue a chairmanship in the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce. Before leaving he sent a letter to then-drug czar John P. Walters, requesting that "ONDCP examine steroid use in professional wrestling and take appropriate steps to address this problem." Neither Walters nor his successor, Gil Kerlikowske, ever pursued the matter.[45] Waxman's own Committee, the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, abandoned the issue after his departure.[45]

Linda was asked why there had been no follow-up during a televised interview with CBS Face the State on January 20, 2010 and responded, "There's not been any follow-up from any of the inquiries that were made because I believe we had furnished thousands of documents and testimony for them, and I think if they looked at our policy and really delved into it, they would be very satisfied."[49]

PG rating

Chair shots to the head were discontinued by the WWE as a result to prevent future concussions.

In August 2008, WWE changed its TV Parental Guidelines rating from TV-14 to PG. In December 2008, at a UBS Media Conference, Linda described the new rating as a marketing strategy to attract a young generation of wrestling fans. She explained it as a way to create lasting loyalty to the brand.[50][51]

Some older fans, who were long-accustomed to more realistic violence, sexual themes, and controversy, felt alienated by WWE's programming change.[52] There has been speculation that McMahon devised the PG rating change in 2008 to improve WWE's public image in preparation for her political campaign.[52][53][54][55]

Company legacy

During the 1980s, the WWF successfully overcame considerable opposition and some media ridicule in lobbying for deregulation in Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan,[56] New Jersey,[57][58][59] California,[60][61] Florida, Pennsylvania,[62] and Texas.[63] By 2000, fewer than half the 50 states had athletic regulations on the wrestling industry.[64]

As is normal practice for professional sports, WWE classifies its wrestlers as independent contractors rather than employees. The classification spared the company from paying Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance for wrestlers. McMahon stated the WWE wrestlers had lucrative contracts, merchandising deals, royalty payments and appearance fees previously unheard of in the wrestling industry.[65] She noted that many of the wrestlers had agents, and viewed them like "singers, golfers, or tennis players". The company also offered seminars to help wrestlers pick health insurance plans.[66]

Under Linda's tenure, WWE became one of the largest recipients of special tax credits for film and TV production granted by the State of Connecticut.[67][68] During her 2010 campaign, Blumenthal's campaign criticized her and WWE for accepting the tax credits while laying off workers in 2009.[69]

On-screen roles

Linda often referred to the creative side of WWE as Vince's specialty, stating that she was primarily in the management team, although she appeared in several storylines.[70] McMahon debuted on WWF TV during the Corporate Ministry storyline, on the May 3, 1999, episode of Raw. During an interview with Fox News, she said that she often did not know what the storylines were in advance and watched events unfold as the general public did.[70]

In one storyline, Vince abused Linda and had an affair with Trish Stratus as Linda watched helplessly. Their feud reached a climax at WrestleMania X-Seven when Linda awoke from her stupor and kicked Vince in the groin.

Unlike her husband and children, Linda appeared on-screen as a more neutral, rational, and selfless character. She often used her "power" to thwart her family's plans or to punish a heel. However, in October 2005, she briefly turned heel to join with her "evil" family members.

Charitable work

Linda and Vince donated over $8 million in 2008, giving grants to the Fishburne Military School, Sacred Heart University, and East Carolina University. Nonprofit Quarterly noted that the majority of the McMahons' donations were towards capital expenditures.[71] In 2006, they paid $2.5 million for construction of a tennis facility in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. As of 2010, Linda McMahon continued to serve on the board of the Close Up Foundation, a nonprofit which offers youth field trips to Washington, D.C. Barack Obama's 2009 and 2010 budgets recommended defunding the foundation.[71]

File:Wwfposter.jpg
The WWF Get R.E.A.L program encouraged literacy with posters. In 2000, this poster was a bestseller across U.S. libraries nationwide

Get R.E.A.L.

Linda launched the company's Get R.E.A.L. program to deliver positive messages about education to young adults. The program encouraged literacy through Public Service Announcements, posters, and bookmarks featuring wrestling superstars. In 2000, the American Library Association reported that the WWF's Know Your Role poster (at left), was its highest-selling poster for two straight months.[72] Since 2006, thousands of posters featuring WWE superstars were distributed to libraries and reading facilities each year.[73]

SmackDown! Your Vote campaign

File:Smackdownyourvote2008.jpg
Hillary Clinton, John McCain, and Barack Obama making televised appearances on WWE during the 2008 Presidential election

Linda initiated WWE's non-partisan voter-registration campaign, "SmackDown! Your Vote", in August 2000.[74][75] The campaign specifically targeted the 18-to-30 voter demographic, making use of online marketing, public service announcements,[76] and youth voting partnerships.[77] The campaign, which registered 150,000 new voters during the 2000 election,[78] was started in coalition with MTV's Choose or Lose, Project Vote Smart, and Youth Vote 2000.[79] As of the 2008 election, it listed fourteen voter registration partner organizations.[80] During the 2008 Presidential election, Smackdown your Vote! registered many voters online, often in affiliation with Rock The Vote.

Special Olympics

Linda and her husband began supporting the Special Olympics in 1986. Linda first developed an interest in the Olympics from her friendship with NBC producer Dick Ebersol and Susan Saint James, who encouraged them to participate in the mid-1980s.[6] Linda met Lowell Weicker, whose son is developmentally-disabled, through the Special Olympics. In 1995, as Connecticut Governor, Weicker appointed Linda McMahon to the Governor's Council for the World Special Olympics.[81]

Achievements

WWE has aired an annual Tribute to the Troops for U.S. soldiers in Iraq since 2003

McMahon became a member of the Board of Trustees of Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, Connecticut) in November 2004.[82] She supported many organizations, including the USO, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the Starlight Foundation, and Community Mayors.[83] In 2005, she won appointment to The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America National Advisory Council and received the Arthur M. Sackler Award from the Connecticut Grand Opera and Orchestra for WWE's support of its arts education program.[83]

On January 29, 2007, Multichannel News named McMahon to its class of "Wonder Women" for 2007.[83] The award recognized her outstanding contributions to the cable and telecommunications industries.[83] In May 2007, she appeared as the keynote speaker at the Girl Scout Council of Southwestern Connecticut’s Women of Achievement Leadership Breakfast.[84] McMahon herself had been a Girl Scout.[84]

Under her leadership, WWE was the recipient of the USO of Metropolitan Washington's first ever “Legacy of Hope” award for its extensive support of U.S. troops and the USO's Operation Care Package program. In 2007, the company received the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award for its support of deployed service members in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2008, the company received the GI Film Festival's Corporate Patriot Award.[85]

On April 13, 2012 Sacred Heart University officially dedicated and opened the Linda E. McMahon Commons Building on its main campus in Fairfield, CT.

Political career

Connecticut Board of Education

McMahon was appointed to the State Board of Education by Governor Jodi Rell in January 2009.[86][82][87] Linda went through a confirmation process in the Connecticut State Assembly, where she was questioned on her record as CEO of WWE.[73] The State Senate approved her nomination by a vote of 34-1 and the House by 96-45, with some opponents expressing concerns that the nature of her WWE activities would send the wrong message. State representative Bruce Morris claimed she lacked "depth of knowledge regarding education". However, state representative John Hetherington said it "would be good to have someone outside the establishment on the board."[88][89]

On April 1, 2010, McMahon resigned from the State Board of Education, because state law does not allow board members to solicit campaign contributions.[90]

2010 U.S. Senate campaign

Linda McMahon for Senate 2010
CampaignU.S. Senator from Connecticut
CandidateLinda McMahon
AffiliationRepublican Party
StatusConceded
HeadquartersWest Hartford, Connecticut
Key peopleEd Patru (spokesman)
ReceiptsUS$46.6
SloganA businesswoman, not a politician, for Connecticut
Main article: Linda McMahon U.S. Senate campaign, 2010
Main article: United States Senate election in Connecticut, 2010

On September 16, 2009, McMahon announced her candidacy for U.S. Senator from Connecticut. She announced she would spend up to $50 million of her own money to finance her campaign and refused outside donations, the third most ever spent on a senatorial campaign.[91] [92] She ran for the Republican nomination, campaigning on promises of lower taxes, fiscal conservatism, and job creation. She hired a campaign staff, and delivered speeches that some criticized as too calculated.[93] Her mail, radio, television, and Internet advertisements quickly gained name recognition and strong poll numbers over her opponents.

McMahon's spending became a key argument of one of her rivals, former Congressman Rob Simmons, who accused her of "buying the election". McMahon and Simmons engaged in a frequently bitter contest. At the party convention, McMahon received the most support, but Simmons received enough votes to qualify for the ballot for the August 10 primary, although he was not actively campaigning. In late July—two weeks before the primary—however, Simmons relaunched his campaign by airing ads on TV reminding voters that his name would be on the ballot, participating in debates, and accepting interviews with editorial boards.[94] A third candidate, Peter Schiff, qualified for the ballot by submitting petition signatures. McMahon defeated her opponents and faced Richard Blumenthal in the general election, losing by 11%. The only county that McMahon carried was Litchfield.

2012 U.S. Senate campaign

Main article: United States Senate election in Connecticut, 2012

Immediately after her loss to Blumenthal, McMahon hinted that she would run again for Senate in 2012.[95] McMahon maintained a high profile following the election, running TV ads,[96] campaigning for politicians, and making frequent media appearances.[97] When Lieberman announced that he would retire from the U.S. Senate, she became the Republican Party favorite for the 2012 election.[98]

On September 20, 2011, McMahon officially announced her candidacy in Southington, Connecticut.[99] On May 18, 2012, McMahon earned the endorsement of the state Republican Party at the Connecticut State Republican Convention by a delegate vote of 658 to 351 over the next highest candidate, former congressman Christopher Shays. The two were the only candidates to qualify for the primary, which was held on August 14, 2012. McMahon defeated Shays by a three to one margin, spending $15.7M of her personal money on the campaign.[100][101][102] She will face Democratic Representative Chris Murphy in the general election.[101]

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Further reading

  • Assael, Shaun (2004). Sex, Lies, and Headlocks: The Real Story of Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 1-4000-5143-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Kaelberer, Angie (2003). The McMahons: Vince McMahon and Family. Capstone High Interest Books. ISBN 0-7368-2143-0.
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Senator from Connecticut
(Class 3)
2010 		Most recent
Preceded by Republican nominee for Senator from Connecticut
(Class 1)
2012

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