Sargent Shriver
Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr. (November 9, 1915 – January 18, 2011) was an American politician who was the first director of the Peace Corps from 1961 until 1966, then he was the first director of the OEO from 1964 until 1968, and was the 21st ambassador to France from 1968 until 1970.
Sargent Shriver | |
|---|---|
 Shriver in 1961 | |
| 21st United States Ambassador to France | |
| In office April 22, 1968 – March 25, 1970 | |
| Nominated by | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Charles E. Bohlen |
| Succeeded by | Arthur K. Watson |
| 1st Director of the OEO | |
| In office October 17, 1964[1] – March 22, 1968[1] | |
| President | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Office Created |
| Succeeded by | Bertrand Harding |
| 1st Director of the Peace Corps | |
| In office March 22, 1961 – February 28, 1966[2] | |
| President | John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Office Created |
| Succeeded by | Jack Vaughn |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr. November 9, 1915 Westminster, Maryland, U.S. |
| Died | January 18, 2011 (aged 95) Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Eunice Kennedy Shriver (m. 1953–2009, her death) |
| Relations | Arnold Schwarzenegger (son-in-law) |
| Children | Robert Sargent Shriver III Maria Owings Shriver Timothy Perry Shriver Mark Kennedy Shriver Anthony Paul Kennedy Shriver |
| Parents | Robert Sargent Shriver, Sr. and Hilda Shriver |
| Alma mater | Yale University Yale Law School |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Awards | World War II Victory Medal, Purple Heart, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal[3] |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1941–1945 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
He was also a Vice President nominee with presidential nominee George McGovern in 1972, they lost to Richard Nixon and to Spiro Agnew. He was also an activist.
Early life
changeShriver was born in Westminster, Maryland on November 9, 1915[4] and was educated at Yale University and at Yale Law School. He had served in the army during World War II from 1941 through 1945 and was awarded a Purple Heart for his wounds during the war.
Career
change
Shriver founded many social programs and organizations, including Head Start,[5] VISTA, Job Corps, Community Action, Upward Bound, Foster Grandparents, Legal Services, the National Clearinghouse for Legal Services (now the Shriver Center), Indian and Migrant Opportunities and Neighborhood Health Services, in addition to directing the Peace Corps. He was active in Special Olympics, founded by his wife Eunice.
Shriver was awarded the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award in 1967. It was named after a 1963 encyclical letter by Pope John XXIII that calls upon all people of good will to secure peace among all nations. Pacem in terris is Latin for 'Peace on Earth'.
Shriver served as U.S. Ambassador to France from 1968 to 1970, becoming a quasi-celebrity among the French for bringing what Time magazine called "a rare and welcome panache" to the normally sedate world of international diplomacy.[6]
Personal life
changeIn 1953 Shriver married Eunice Kennedy (the sister of John F. Kennedy) and together they had 5 children; Robert Sargent Shriver III, Maria Shriver (the wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger), Timothy Peter Shriver, Mark Kennedy Shriver, and Anthony Paul Kennedy Shriver. Shriver's wife of 56 years Eunice Kennedy Shriver died on August 11, 2009 from a stroke,[7] two weeks later his brother-in-law Ted Kennedy died on August 25, 2009 from brain cancer.[8]
Health and death
changeIn 2003 Shriver was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and has began to loose his memory and could not even name his own wife because of the disease. His daughter Maria Shriver wrote a children's book based on the disease.[9]
On January 18, 2011 Sargent Shriver died in Bethesda, Maryland from Alzheimer's disease, he was 95 years old. He is buried next to his wife at the St. Francis Xavier Cemetery.[10]
References
change- ↑ 1.0 1.1 capsolano.org/cap_general_info/caa_history.pdf
- ↑ Past Directors Archived 2010-05-27 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Herbert, Bob (April 23, 2004). "A Muscular Idealism". The New York Times. Retrieved December 5, 2008.
- ↑ "The New Nominee No Longer Half a Kennedy". Time. August 14, 1972. Archived from the original on January 30, 2009. Retrieved September 27, 2008.
- ↑ "Head Start History: 1965-Present" (PDF). Pennsylvania Head Start Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 15, 2011. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
- ↑ "Diplomacy: The Liveliest Ambassador". Time. November 1, 1968. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ↑ Grinberg, Emanuella (n.d.). "Eunice Kennedy Shriver dies". Edition.cnn.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved August 11, 2009.
- ↑ "Ted Kennedy Dies of Brain Cancer at Age 77". ABC News. August 26, 2009. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
- ↑ Shriver, Maria (April 28, 2004). What's Happening to Grandpa?. Little, Brown Young Readers. ISBN 978-0-316-00101-4.
- ↑ McFadden, Robert D. (January 18, 2011). "R. Sargent Shriver, Peace Corps Leader, Dies at 95". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
Other websites
change
Media related to Sargent Shriver at Wikimedia Commons
- "American Idealist: The Story of Sargent Shriver" Archived 2012-01-18 at the Wayback Machine, PBS
- Ancestor David Shriver Archived 2012-08-20 at the Wayback Machine
- FBI file on Sargent Shriver
- Life With Sargent Shriver Archived 2011-01-22 at the Wayback Machine - slideshow by Life
- Sargent Shriver
- Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
- The Shriver Center Archived 2014-10-04 at the Wayback Machine
- Video: Sargent Shriver delivering a speech about the Peace Corps in 1965
- Sargent Shriver at Find a Grave