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Playwright, novelist, first U.S. Congresswoman from Connecticut, Ambassador to Italy. Born in New York City, Clare went to work as an editor of Vanity Fair, traveling 72,000 miles as a correspondent, and wrote the first of several plays, The Women.
In 1935 she married Henry Luce, co-founder of Time Magazine and later Life Magazine. In 1941 Clare Boothe Luce agreed to run for political office, filling the seat held by her late step-father, Dr. Austin. She won the election and in 1949 was re-elected. While in Congress she was named to the powerful Committee on Military Affairs. Throughout her term she attacked President Roosevelt's foreign policy and management of the war effort. As the war ended, Clare issued a warning about the threat of aggression from the Soviet Union. At the request of President Eisenhower, she was named Ambassador to Italy in 1946. She was a member of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board under Presidents Nixon, Ford and Reagan. She was devastated by the death of her daughter in an automobile accident and, following the death of Henry Luce, Clare lived in Hawaii much of the year, returning to Washington in the 1980's where she died in October 1987.
According to the content of her will, Clare Boothe Luce designated part of her estate as endowments to twelve universities, including: Boston University, Boston, MA; Colby College, Waterville, ME; Creighton University, Omaha, NE; Fordham University, Bronx, NY; Georgetown University, Washington, DC; Marymount University, Arlington, VA; Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA; St. John's University, Jamaica, NY; Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA; Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ; Trinity College, Washington, DC; University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
The only secondary school included on the endowment list is Villanova Preparatory School. The Clare Boothe Luce Program stands alone as the single most significant source of private support for women in science, engineering and mathematics. She appreciated, however, that many women face obstacles in their chosen professions. In her magnificent bequest establishing this program, she sought “to encourage women to enter, study, graduate, and teach” in the sciences (including mathematics) and engineering.
Villanova’s Clare Boothe Luce Program Seeks To:
* Identify Young Women with an Intellect and Interest in Math and Science
* Foster in Young Women a Passion for Excellence in Math and Science while at Villanova
* Enter College or University Degree Programs in Math or Science
* Become Role Models for Young Women in Math or Science
A "Clare Boothe Luce Scholar" at Villanova:
* Attends "Women in Math and Science" Career Lectures
* Receives Role Modeling from Clare Boothe Luce Teachers on Staff at Villanova
* May Apply for Summer Study Grants
* May be Eligible for Clare Boothe Luce Scholarships at Villanova
* Receives Assistance with College Planning and Placement in Math or the Sciences
Visit the Clare Boothe Luce homepage on Edline by clicking here
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