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Governor of Massachusetts | |
| Predecessor | Edward Brooks |
| Successor | Thomas O’Neill III |
| Lieutenant Governor | Thomas O’Neill III |
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First Lady of the United States | |
| Predecessor | Pauline Gore |
| Successor | Barbara Bush |
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Second Lady of the United States | |
| Predecessor | Cathrine Nixon |
| Successor | Ethel Kennedy |
Biography:
Eunice Mary Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on July 10, 1921. She was the fifth of nine children of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., and Rose Fitzgerald. Her siblings included U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy, U.S. Attorney General and U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Jean Kennedy Smith.
Shriver was educated at the Convent of The Sacred Heart, Roehampton, London and at Manhattanville College in Upper Manhattan. After graduating from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology in 1943, she worked for the Special War Problems Division of the U.S. State Department.
Early Political Life:
Eunice married Senate-elect Sargent Shriver in 1953 thus giving the Kennedy’s full control over the Massachusetts senate seats. In the 1958 senate elections she campaigned vigorously to get her husband re-elected and through back stage deals by her father Shriver was made Senate Majority Whip. She campaigned for her brother John in the 1960 United States Presidential election which landed him the Vice Presidential spot on the ticket.
1964 United States Presidential election:
When her husband entered the race in 1964 Eunice and the Kennedy clan spent a fortune but Shriver also had to run for the Massachusetts seat when he was being challenged by Tip O’Neill as a independent. Shriver’s “Idle America” monologue in the second primary debate when the high point of his campaign but on the 19th of May Shriver dropped out and endorsed Gore Sr. The combination of Kennedy influence and his experience landed him the Vice Presidential seat on the Democratic ticket. Now at that point Eunice took her kids into seclusion in the Kennedy homes for her Husband to campaign and on November 4th she was awoken by her staff and kids who addressed her as “Second Lady”.
As Second Lady:
During her time as the Second lady Eunice backed First Lady’s Pauline campaign against cancer. She was instrumental in the creation of the Annual Presidential dinners for former presidents in 1967.