Anne Holton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anne Holton
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Holton in 2016
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| President of George Mason University | |
| Acting June 20, 2019 – June 30, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Ángel Cabrera |
| Succeeded by | Gregory Washington |
| 17th Virginia Secretary of Education | |
| In office January 11, 2014 – July 25, 2016 |
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| Governor | Terry McAuliffe |
| Preceded by | Javaid Siddiqi |
| Succeeded by | Dietra Trent |
| First Lady of Virginia | |
| In role January 14, 2006 – January 16, 2010 |
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| Governor | Tim Kaine |
| Preceded by | Lisa Collis |
| Succeeded by | Maureen McDonnell |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Anne Bright Holton
February 1, 1958 Roanoke, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
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| Education | |
| Signature |  |
Anne Bright Holton (born February 1, 1958) is an American lawyer and judge. She served as the Secretary of Education for the state of Virginia from 2014 to 2016. She is married to United States Senator Tim Kaine. He was the running mate for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
Holton was also the First Lady of Virginia from 2006 to 2010. She later served as the temporary president of George Mason University from 2019 to 2020.
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Early Life and Family History
Anne Holton was born in Roanoke, Virginia, on February 1, 1958. Her mother was Virginia Harrison "Jinks" Rogers. Her father was Linwood Holton, a lawyer and politician. He was a member of the Republican Party.
In 1969, Anne's father was elected as the governor of Virginia. He served from 1970 to 1974. When her father became governor, he made an important decision. He enrolled Anne and her siblings in mostly Black public schools. This was after a court ordered schools in Richmond Public Schools to be desegregated. This meant students of all races could attend the same schools.
Anne attended Mosby Middle School near the Governor's Mansion. She then went to Open High School. She graduated from Langley High School in 1976.
Anne has two brothers. One brother, Woody Holton, is a history professor. Her other brother, Dwight Holton, worked as a United States Attorney.
Education and Family Life
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Anne Holton studied at Princeton University. She graduated with high honors in 1980. Her degree was from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
After Princeton, Holton went to Harvard Law School. There, she met her future husband, Tim Kaine. They both studied law and worked together in a program helping prisoners. Anne and Tim both earned their law degrees in 1983.
They got married in November 1984 in Richmond. Anne decided to keep her maiden name, Holton. They moved to the North Side neighborhood of Richmond. They have lived there ever since. Anne and Tim have three children: Nat, Woody, and Annella.
Anne Holton's Career Path
Working as a Lawyer
After law school, Anne Holton worked for a judge in Richmond. From 1985 to 1998, she was a lawyer for the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society. This organization helps people who cannot afford legal help. She also helped start a program for volunteer lawyers.
Serving as a Judge
In the mid-1990s, Holton sometimes filled in as a judge. She worked for the Virginia Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. This court handles cases involving young people and families. In 1998, she was appointed as a permanent judge. She became the chief judge of the court in 2000.
In 2002, Anne gave the oath of office to her husband, Tim Kaine. He was becoming the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Because she was a judge, Anne could not take part in her husband's campaign for governor in 2005. She resigned from her judge position after he was elected governor.
Virginia's Education Secretary
After her husband's term as governor ended, Anne Holton led a program called Great Expectations. This program helped foster children go to college. In 2014, the new governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, chose Holton to be the state's Education Secretary.
As Education Secretary, Holton worked to improve schools. She believed that too much testing made it hard to attract good teachers. She supported raising teacher pay. She also wanted to change high school graduation rules. Her goal was to help students take college courses early. She also wanted them to earn job certifications. Holton left this role in 2016. She wanted to help her husband's campaign for vice president.
In 2017, Governor McAuliffe appointed Holton to the Virginia State Board of Education. She supported different types of schools, including charter schools. She believed they could help children succeed.
University Leadership Roles
In 2017, George Mason University announced that Holton would join their staff. She became a visiting professor. She taught about public policy and education.
In June 2019, George Mason University announced that Holton would be their temporary president. She started this role on August 1, 2019. She served until July 1, 2020. At that time, Gregory Washington became the new president.
First Lady of Virginia
Anne Holton was the second daughter of a Virginia Governor to become First Lady of Virginia. The first was Thomas Jefferson's daughter. Anne was also the only person to live in the Virginia Governor's Mansion as both a child and an adult.
As First Lady, she started an important program in 2007. It was called "For Keeps: Families for all Virginia Teens." This program focused on finding stable families for children in foster care. She especially wanted to help older children. She was motivated by problems she saw in the foster care system when she was a judge.
During the 2008 presidential election, her husband supported Barack Obama. Anne led the "Women for Obama" group in Virginia.
Role in the 2016 Presidential Campaign
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In 2016, Hillary Clinton chose Anne's husband, Tim Kaine, as her running mate. This meant he would be the vice president if Clinton won. After this, Anne Holton began traveling to campaign. She supported Hillary Clinton and her husband.
She often talked about childcare and helping small businesses. There was some talk that if her husband became vice president, Anne might take his Senate seat. However, Anne said she was not interested in that job. She joked that she would never let her husband be her boss.
Personal Life and Community Work
Anne Holton is involved in many community groups. She serves on boards like Voices of Virginia's Children. She also supports the Richmond Public Schools Education Foundation. She has received several awards for her work.
Holton and her husband attend St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Richmond. It is a mostly African American church. Anne Holton has a fun hobby: she is a longtime clog dancer. She started clogging in high school.
Images for kids
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Anne Holton's signature
