Maria Shriver

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Maria Shriver
Maria Shriver

Incumbent
Assumed office 
November 17, 2003
Preceded by Sharon Davis

Born November 6, 1955 (1955-11-06) (age 53)
Chicago, Illinois
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Spouse Arnold Schwarzenegger
Relations Mark Shriver (brother) Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver (parents), John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Edward M. Kennedy (uncles)
Children Katherine (born 1989)
Christina (born 1991)
Patrick (born 1993)
Christopher (born 1997)
Residence Brentwood, Los Angeles, CA
Alma mater Georgetown University
Profession Journalist, Author
Religion Roman Catholic

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

Contents

[edit] Early life

Shriver was born in Chicago, Illinois. A Roman Catholic of Irish and German descent, she was the second child and only daughter of the politician Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver; Eunice is the sister of President John F. Kennedy, US Attorney General and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, Senator Ted Kennedy and five other non-political siblings. Maria attended Westland Middle School in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, DC, and graduated with the class of 1973 from Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Maryland. Shriver received a B.A. degree in American Studies from Georgetown University in June 1977.

[edit] Career

In her book Ten Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Went Out Into The Real World, 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 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 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 recall.

Upon her husband's inauguration as the 38th Governor of California, she became the First Lady of California on November 17, 2003. 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.

Shriver has played a minor role in Be Prepared, an episode of the television series That's So Raven as herself promoting a "Preparedness Plan". She also appeared as herself in the film Last Action Hero. On March 23, 2007, Shriver returned to television news as substitute host of panel-discussion talk show Larry King Live on CNN. Shriver moderated a discussion of breast cancer. 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]

[edit] Personal life

Maria and Arnold in Shanghai for the Special Olympics.

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 used to own 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]

Shriver is a close friend of TV icon Oprah Winfrey.

[edit] 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 the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama for the Democratic Presidential Nomination in 2008. The endorsement was given at a rally held at the UCLA featuring Caroline Kennedy (her cousin), 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]

[edit] 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.[22]

She has won Peabody and Emmy awards.[23]

[edit] Books

[edit] 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 2008-04-28.
  3. ^ Adam Tanner (May 16, 2007). Shriver says Anna Nicole frenzy ended her TV return. Reuters. Accessed 2008-04-28.
  4. ^ Maria Owings Shriver Wed To Arnold Schwarzenegger
  5. ^ "Chronicle". The New York Times. July 24, 1991. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE0DD1E3DF937A15754C0A967958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fS%2fSchwarzenegger%2c%20Arnold. 
  6. ^ "Chronicle". The New York Times. September 21, 1993. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE6DB1430F932A1575AC0A965958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fS%2fShriver%2c%20Maria. 
  7. ^ "Chronicle". The New York Times. November 26, 1997. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F03E2DD143AF935A15752C1A961958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fS%2fShriver%2c%20Maria. 
  8. ^ "Chronicle". The New York Times. September 30, 1997. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00E3D8103AF933A0575AC0A961958260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fS%2fShriver%2c%20Maria. 
  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. May 2004. http://www.sacmag.com/media/Sacramento-Magazine/May 2004/Catching-Up-With-Maria-Shriver/. 
  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. ^ Rose named in honor of Maria Shriver
  23. ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3949468/

[edit] External links

[edit] Official

[edit] Unofficial

Honorary titles
Preceded by
Sharon Ryer Davis
First Lady of California
2003–present
Incumbent
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