Hillary (Rodham) Clinton (b.1947)
First Lady of the United States & U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton has been one of America's most prominent political figures for over three decades. She was born Hillary Diane Rodham in Chicago and graduated from Wellesley College and Yale Law School, where she met her husband, Bill Clinton. After they were married in 1975, she moved to Arkansas and became the state's First Lady when Bill was elected governor. As the First Lady of Arkansas, she broke traditional molds by maintaining her legal career and advocacy work, particularly focusing on children's rights and education reform. When Bill Clinton won the presidency in 1992, she became an unusually active First Lady, leading healthcare reform efforts and championing women's rights globally. Her famous declaration that "women's rights are human rights" at the 1995 Beijing Women's Conference became a defining moment.
In 2000, Clinton made history by becoming the first former First Lady to be elected to public office, winning a seat in the U.S. Senate (from New York). She served two terms, building a reputation as a pragmatic legislator who worked across party lines, particularly on post-9/11 recovery and veterans' issues. Her 2008 presidential campaign marked her as the first woman with a serious chance of winning a major party's nomination. She ultimately lost to Barack Obama, who appointed her Secretary of State. She served from 2009-13, traveling more miles than any previous Secretary while implementing the "pivot to Asia" strategy and advocating for internet freedom and international women's rights.
In 2000, Clinton made history by becoming the first former First Lady to be elected to public office, winning a seat in the U.S. Senate (from New York). She served two terms, building a reputation as a pragmatic legislator who worked across party lines, particularly on post-9/11 recovery and veterans' issues. Her 2008 presidential campaign marked her as the first woman with a serious chance of winning a major party's nomination. She ultimately lost to Barack Obama, who appointed her Secretary of State. She served from 2009-13, traveling more miles than any previous Secretary while implementing the "pivot to Asia" strategy and advocating for internet freedom and international women's rights.
In 2016, she secured the Democratic presidential nomination, becoming the first woman nominated by a major party. Despite winning the popular vote by nearly three million votes, she lost the Electoral College to Donald Trump. Since then, she has remained active through speaking engagements, writing (notably State of Terror, a fictional thriller co-authored with Louise Penny), and political commentary, while continuing to advocate for democratic institutions and women's rights worldwide. She has one daughter, Chelsea.
