Sargent Shriver
Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr. (born November 9, 1915 – January 18, 2011) was a former Ambassador to France, the first director of the Peace Corps,[1] and the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee in 1972, under George McGovern. He accepted the nomination after McGovern's first pick, former Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton, withdrew his nomination after previous medical conditions had been reported in the news.
Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. was raised in Maryland and attended an elite private school in Connecticut on a scholarship. From there he went to Yale, then on to Yale Law School. He was a devoted Catholic and, like many young people raised between the world wars, a searcher for peace.[2]
In addition to Shriver's work with the Peace Corps, he was also responsible for the foundation of Head Start, VISTA, Job Corps, and Upward Bound.
For a short time in 1976, Shriver unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for President.
In 1984, he was elected President of the Special Olympics (Eunice Kennedy Shriver's great legacy), and in 1990 was appointed Chairman of the Board.
For his lifelong service, Shriver received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994, from President Bill Clinton.
Shriver was married to Eunice Kennedy, a sister to John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Ted Kennedy, and one of the founders of the Special Olympics. Together, they have five children, including Maria Shriver, former wife of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
References
External links
- Short biography at his wife's website
- When Sargent Shriver Ran for Vice-President.
