Sargent Shriver

Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr., born November 9, 1915 in Westminster, Maryland, is a Democratic politician and activist. He is best known as an in-law of the Kennedy family and the driving force behind the creation of the Peace Corps.

Shriver's ebullient personality and creative energy made him one of the most effective leaders of John F. Kennedy's New Frontier and Lyndon Johnson's Great Society in the 1960s. He inspired, directed, or founded numerous social programs and organizations, including Head Start, VISTA, Job Corps, Community Action, Upward Bound, Foster Grandparents, the Special Olympics, the National Center on Poverty Law, Legal Services, and, as mentioned, the Peace Corps. Shriver also ran the War on Poverty during Johnson's tenure as president.

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 staid world of international diplomacy.

Early Years

Shriver spent his high school years at Georgetown Preparatory School, the prestigious all-boys Jesuit school in North Bethesda, Maryland. He received his bachelor's degree in 1938 from Yale University, where he was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and Scroll and Key, a prestigious secret society. He also served as chairman of the Yale Daily News. Shriver went on to attend Yale Law School, where he earned the L.L.B. in 1941.

An early opponent of American involvement in World War II, Shriver was a founding member of America First, an organization that stoked controversy due to its association with pilot and alleged anti-Semite Charles Lindbergh. Still, Shriver volunteered for the U.S. Navy, claiming he had a duty to serve his country even if he disagreed with its policies. He spent five years in active duty and became a full lieutenant. Shriver ultimately came to believe in the justness of American involvement in the war and retracted his early opposition.

Shriver's involvement with the Kennedy family began when family patriarch Joseph Kennedy, Sr. hired him to manage the Merchandise Mart -- part of Kennedy's vast business empire -- in Chicago, Illinois.

After a seven-year courtship, Shriver married Eunice Kennedy, a sister of John F. Kennedy, on May 23, 1953. Their daughter Maria ultimately became a famous television news journalist and married actor and current California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Shrivers' other children include Robert Sargent Shriver III, Timothy Perry Shriver, Mark Kennedy Shriver, and Anthony Paul Kennedy Shriver.

Running for Office

In 1970, Shriver flirted with the possibility of running for Governor of Illinois or, more seriously, Maryland. He later admitted that his nascent campaign in Maryland was badly managed, and he soon decided to leave politics to practice law.

Shriver returned to the political world in 1972, when George McGovern chose him as his Vice Presidential running mate after McGovern's first pick -- Thomas Eagleton -- turned out to have had mental health problems. The McGovern-Shriver ticket was badly beaten by the Republican candidates Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew.

Shriver sought the Democratic nomination for President in 1976. He was an energetic campaigner, but he could not escape the shadow of the Kennedy family and be seen as his own man. After a series of disappointing primary performances, he dropped out of the race.

Timeline

According to Shriver's own bio:

1947-48: Conducted, with his ^* wife Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the National Conference on Prevention and Control of Juvenile Delinquency in Washington

1955-60: Served as president of the Chicago Board of Education

1960: Worked as a political and organization coordinator in the Wisconsin and West Virginia primaries for Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy

1961-66: Served as the organizer and first Director of the Peace Corps, where he developed volunteer activities in more than 50 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America

1964-68: Served as the first Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity under U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson

1964-68 Created VISTA, Head Start, Community Action, Foster Grandparents, Job Corps, Legal Services, Indian and Migrant Opportunities and Neighborhood Health Services

1965-68: Served as Special Assistant to President Johnson

1968-70: Served as U.S. Ambassador to France

1970: Served as Chairman of Congressional Leadership for the Future, traveling to 29 U.S. states to gain support for 89 Democratic candidates for the House and Senate

1970: Named a Partner in the law firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson, specializing in international law and foreign affairs

1972: Nominated by the Democratic Party as a candidate for Vice President with Senator George McGovern in the presidential effort against incumbents Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew

1975: Embarked on a nationwide Lecture tour "Co-Existence and Common Existence" of the USSR at the invitation of the Soviet government

1978: Inaugurated the Kennedy Institute of Ethics "Trialogue" to foster discussions between leaders of Christian, Jewish and Muslim Religions

1981: Appointed to the Rockefeller University Council, an organization devoted exclusively to research and graduate education in the biomedical and related sciences

1984: Elected President of Special Olympics by the Board of Directors; as President, he directed the operation and international development of sports programs around the world

1986: Retired as Partner of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson; named of Counsel to FFHS&J

1990: Appointed Chairman of the Board of Special Olympics

1993: Received the Franklin D. Roosevelt Freedom From Want Award

1994: Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States' highest civilian honor, from President Clinton on August 8

Miscellaneous

Shriver now suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Maria has published a children's book, What's Happening to Grandpa?, to help explain Alzheimer's to children. The book also gives kids suggestions on how to help and to show love to an elderly person with the disease.

Shriver is a devout Catholic who was known as one of the most observant members of the Kennedy family.

Shriver is a descendant of David Shriver, who signed the Maryland Constitution and Bill of Rights at Maryland's Constitutional Convention of 1776.

References

Clinton, Bill (2005). My Life. Vintage. ISBN 140003003X.
Stossel, Scott (2005). Sarge. Smithsonian Books.

External links