Shriver, Eunice Mary Kennedy


Shriver, Eunice Mary Kennedy,

1921–2009, American philanthropist and advocate for the intellectually disabled, b. Brookline, Mass., grad. Stanford (1943); she was a daughter of Joseph P. KennedyKennedy, Joseph Patrick,
1888–1969, U.S. ambassador to Great Britain (1937–40), b. Boston, grad. Harvard, 1912. The founder of an American dynasty, he was the father of nine children, including John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Edward M.
..... Click the link for more information.  and a sister of President John F. KennedyKennedy, John Fitzgerald,
1917–63, 35th President of the United States (1961–63), b. Brookline, Mass.; son of Joseph P. Kennedy. Early Life

While an undergraduate at Harvard (1936–40) he served briefly in London as secretary to his father, who was
..... Click the link for more information.  and Senators Robert F. KennedyKennedy, Robert Francis,
1925–68, American politician, U.S. Attorney General (1961–64), b. Brookline, Mass., younger brother of President John F. Kennedy and son of Joseph P. Kennedy.

A graduate of Harvard (1948) and the Univ.
..... Click the link for more information.  and Ted KennedyKennedy, Ted
(Edward Moore Kennedy), 1932–2009, U.S. senator from Massachusetts (1962–2009), b. Boston, Mass., youngest son of Joseph P. Kennedy and the last survivor of brothers Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy.
..... Click the link for more information.  and married (1953) Sargent ShriverShriver, Robert Sargent,
1915–2011, U.S. public official, b. Westminster, Md., husband of Eunice Shriver. A lawyer, he served in World War II and was (1945–46) an assistant editor of Newsweek
..... Click the link for more information. . In 1957 she became an officer of a Kennedy foundation focusing on the prevention and treatment of retardation, and thereafter devoted much of her life to improving the status of the mentally challenged. In 1963 she established a day camp for retarded children at her Maryland home, and soon helped create similar facilities throughout the United States and Canada. From these grew her greatest accomplishment, the founding (1968) of the Special Olympics, which has provided opportunities for the developmentally challenged to benefit from active involvement in sports and competition. There are now Special Olympics groups in some 180 countries, and World Special Olympics Games are held every two years.

Bibliography

See study by E. Shorter (2000).