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Maria Shriver

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Maria Shriver
173x216
First Lady of California
Assumed office
November 17, 2003
Preceded bySharon Davis
Personal details
Born (1955-11-06) November 6, 1955 (age 68)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseArnold Schwarzenegger
RelationsParents: Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Siblings: Anthony Shriver, Bobby Shriver, Mark Shriver, Timothy Shriver
Aunt:{ Rosemary Kennedy Jean Kennedy Smith
Uncles: Edward M. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy
see Kennedy family
ChildrenKatherine (born 1989)
Christina (born 1991)
Patrick (born 1993)
Christopher (born 1997)
Parent(s)Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver
Residence(s)Brentwood, Los Angeles, California
EducationGeorgetown University
Alma materGeorgetown University
ProfessionJournalist, Author

Maria Owings Shriver (Template:Pron-en; born November 6, 1955)[1] is an award-winning American journalist and author, and the First Lady of California. She is married to actor and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and is a member of the Kennedy family.

Early life

Shriver was born in Chicago, Illinois. A Roman Catholic of German descent through her father and Irish 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 Country Day 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.

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 was told by NBC she was to be "relieved of [her] duties at NBC News," citing 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.

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 during which she moderated a discussion of breast cancer with Susan Love, 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.[2][3]

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.[4] 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);[5] Patrick Arnold Shriver Schwarzenegger (born September 18, 1993 in Los Angeles, California);[6] and Christopher Sargent Shriver Schwarzenegger[7] (born September 27, 1997 in Los Angeles, California)[8]

On Sundays, Shriver and her family attend Mass at St. Monica's Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California.[9][10] The Schwarzeneggers live in their 11,000-square-foot (1022 m2) home in Brentwood.[11][12] They previously owned a home in the Pacific Palisades.[13] The family owns vacation homes in Sun Valley, Idaho and Hyannis, Massachusetts.[14]

The Saint John's Health Center has a nursery named after Shriver.[15][16]

On April 7, 2008, it was revealed that Shriver's medical records were breached at the UCLA Medical Center.[17][18]

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 abruptly on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, she played the part of the loyal political spouse. Since Governor Schwarzenegger took office, Maria has visibly supported 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. 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.

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.[19][20] Governor Schwarzenegger had previously endorsed Senator John McCain for the Republican presidential nomination a few days earlier on January 31, 2008.[21]

The Women's Conference

In her capacity as First Lady, Maria Shriver has taken the helm of The Women’s Conference. The Women's Conference (also known as the California Governor & First Lady's Conference on Women) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization and annual forum for women. The women-focused event first began in 1986 as a California government initiative for working professionals and women business owners. Since 2004, The Women's Conference has been under the leadership of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver and has grown into a "blockbuster" event.[22]

Reinvented by Shriver, The Women’s Conference has reportedly become the "largest meeting of women in the country"[23] and a celebration of "lives and lessons".[24] Its main stage presentations and seminar sessions have addressed personal topics such as work-life balance, service and volunteerism, healthy lifestyles, spirituality and families, professional issues such as professional development, financial planning, entrepreneurialism and communications, as well as social issues like women's maternal health, global poverty, climate change and emergency preparedness. The annual Conference unites more than 80 internationally-acclaimed leaders, visionaries and authors with 14,000 women in one arena, plus thousands more online, to share enriching stories of transformation and success, self-empowerment and life lessons. [25]

WE Programs

Under the leadership of Maria Shriver, The Women’s Conference has formed partnerships with organizations in the United States and internationally to develop ongoing women’s empowerment programs, also known as the WE Programs.

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.[26]

She has won Peabody and Emmy awards.[27]

Books

  • Shriver, Maria (2000). Ten Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Went Out Into The Real World. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 9780446526128.
  • Shriver, Maria (2001). What's Wrong With Timmy?. Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316233378.
  • Shriver, Maria (2004). What's Happening to Grandpa?. Little Brown Young Publishing. ISBN 0316001015.
  • Shriver, Maria (2005). And One More Thing Before You Go... The Free Press. ISBN 9780743281010.
  • Shriver, Maria (2007). What's Heaven?. Golden Books Adult Publishing. ISBN 9780312382414.
  • Shriver, Maria (2008). Just Who Will You Be?: Big Question, Little Book, Answer Within. Hyperion. ISBN 9781401323189.

See also

References

  1. ^ Shriver known for her political bloodlines (October 9, 2003) Sydney Morning Herald. Accessed 2008-02-05.
  2. ^ "Maria Shriver won't return to NBC News". (October 24, 2007). USA Today. Accessed April 28, 2008.
  3. ^ Adam Tanner (May 16, 2007). "Shriver says Anna Nicole frenzy ended her TV return". Reuters. Accessed April 28, 2008.
  4. ^ Maria Owings Shriver Wed To Arnold Schwarzenegger
  5. ^ "Chronicle". The New York Times. July 24, 1991. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ "Chronicle". The New York Times. September 21, 1993. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "Chronicle". The New York Times. November 26, 1997. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ "Chronicle". The New York Times. September 30, 1997. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Maria Shriver Ends Her Silence On Husband's Campaign - Vote News Story - KNBC Los Angeles
  10. ^ Celebrity News
  11. ^ Next Stop-Governor's Mansion? - Forbes.com
  12. ^ The Mind Behind the Muscles - Printout - TIME
  13. ^ Schwarzenegger, Shriver selling home in Palisades
  14. ^ 2004/Catching-Up-With-Maria-Shriver/ "Catching Up With Maria Shriver". Sacramento Magazine. 2004. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  15. ^ Saint John's Health Center - The Maria Shriver Nursery
  16. ^ Access Hollywood
  17. ^ More UCLA records abuses
  18. ^ Celeb Records Snooped in California
  19. ^ Maria Shriver Backs Obama
  20. ^ Breaking: California First Lady Maria Shriver Endorses Barack Obama
  21. ^ Shriver Backs Obama
  22. ^ Maria attracts big names to conference
  23. ^ Maria Shriver's Job, "So Shriver". LA Times. 10-26-2007.
  24. ^ Marinucci, Carla (10-20-2005). "Shriver on stage next week - will she speak out?". Long Beach: SF Gate.
  25. ^ Women'sConference.org Overview
  26. ^ Rose named in honor of Maria Shriver
  27. ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3949468/
Official
Unofficial
Honorary titles
Preceded by
Sharon Ryer Davis
 First Lady of California
2003–present 		Incumbent

Template:Current U.S. First Spouses

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