Hillary Clinton, wife of former president Bill Clinton, has become one of the most prominent women in American politics. Hillary Rodham was born on 26 October 1947. She was raised in Illinois as the only daughter of middle class, politically conservative Methodist parents. She was an excellent student who attended Wellesley College and Yale Law School before beginning her career as a staff attorney for the Children’s Defense Fund.
On 11 October 1975, Hillary Rodham married fellow Yale alumnus Bill Clinton. He was elected Governor of Arkansas in 1978 and Hillary Clinton became the first woman named as full partner in the prominent Rose Law Firm in 1979. The couple’s only daughter, Chelsea Clinton, was born on 27 February 1980.
In 1992, when Bill Clinton was elected the 42nd President of the United States, he joked to voters that the Clinton administration offered “two for the price of one.” Never one to sit on the sidelines, Hillary Clinton spent her time as First Lady working to increase funding for breast cancer research, reduce teen pregnancy rates, help children in foster care find permanent homes, and promote better access to affordable health care.
In 1995, Hillary Clinton published It Takes a Village . Her book about helping children become successful adults immediately became an international bestseller and all proceeds were donated to various children’s charities around the United States. She received the Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 1997 for her recording of the book.
In 1998, the Monica Lewinsky scandal drew unprecedented attention to the Clinton’s marriage. Some people praised Hillary Clinton for standing by her man, but others thought she was enabling his bad behavior by not demanding a divorce. Regardless, she continues to refer to her husband as her best friend and the most interesting person she has ever met.
In 2000, Hillary Clinton became the first female senator to represent the state of New York and the first former First Lady elected to public office. She tried to keep a low profile at first, but quickly became known as an advocate for education, health care, and women’s rights. Her approval ratings soared and she was easily elected to a second term in 2006. Bill Clinton actively assisted her with both campaigns and is considered by many to be her closest political advisor.
In January 2007, Hillary Clinton announced that she would be seeking the democratic presidential domination for the 2008 election. Because of her husband’s presidency and her popularity as a New York Senator, Hillary Clinton has achieved a high level of name recognition among voters. While she has enjoys a wide base of supporters, Hillary Clinton remains a polarizing character in politics.