Donna Shalala facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Donna Shalala
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Official portrait, 2019
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| President of The New School | |
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Interim
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| In office August 16, 2023 – July 31, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Dwight A. McBride |
| Succeeded by | Joel Towers |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 27th district |
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| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Ileana Ros-Lehtinen |
| Succeeded by | María Elvira Salazar |
| 18th United States Secretary of Health and Human Services | |
| In office January 22, 1993 – January 20, 2001 |
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| President | Bill Clinton |
| Deputy |
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| Preceded by | Louis Wade Sullivan |
| Succeeded by | Tommy Thompson |
| 1st Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Policy Development and Research | |
| In office January 20, 1977 – October 8, 1980 |
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| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Secretary | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Emanuel S. Savas |
| President of the Clinton Foundation | |
| In office March 6, 2015 – April 25, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Eric Braverman |
| Succeeded by | Kevin Thurm |
| 5th President of the University of Miami | |
| In office June 1, 2001 – August 16, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Edward T. Foote II |
| Succeeded by | Julio Frenk |
| 5th Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison |
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| In office January 1, 1988 – January 22, 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Bernard Cecil Cohen |
| Succeeded by | David Ward |
| 10th President of Hunter College | |
| In office October 8, 1980 – January 1, 1988 |
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| Preceded by | Jacqueline Grennan Wexler |
| Succeeded by | Paul LeClerc |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Donna Edna Shalala
February 14, 1941 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Western College (BA) Syracuse University (MA, PhD) |
Donna Edna Shalala (born February 14, 1941) is an American politician and educator. She has held important roles in government and at universities. She worked for Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. She also served in the United States House of Representatives from 2019 to 2021.
In 2008, Shalala received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is one of the highest awards a civilian can get in the United States. Since August 2023, she has been the Interim President of The New School, a university in New York City.
Shalala earned a bachelor's degree in 1962. She then joined the Peace Corps, helping people in other countries. In 1970, she earned her PhD from Syracuse University. Later, she became a professor and worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
She became the president of Hunter College in 1980. From 1988 to 1993, she was the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
From 1993 to 2001, Shalala was the Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton. She was the longest-serving person in this role. She was also the first Lebanese-American to be part of a U.S. President's Cabinet. After this, she led the University of Miami as its president from 2001 to 2015. She also served as president of the Clinton Foundation from 2015 to 2017.
As a member of the Democratic Party, Shalala was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. She represented Florida's 27th district for one term. She was not re-elected in 2020.
Contents
- Early Life and Education
- Career Highlights
- Awards and Recognition
- Images for kids
- See also
Early Life and Education
Donna Shalala was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Her family had Lebanese roots. Her father worked in real estate. Her mother was a teacher and one of the first Lebanese-American women to graduate from Ohio State University. Donna also has a twin sister named Diane.
Shalala went to West Technical High School. She was the editor of her school newspaper. In 1962, she earned her bachelor's degree from Western College for Women.
From 1962 to 1964, she was one of the first volunteers in the Peace Corps. She worked in Iran, helping to build an agricultural college. In 1970, she earned her PhD from Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York.
Career Highlights
Shalala started her career as a professor of political science at Baruch College. She was also a member of the American Federation of Teachers union.
Teaching and Government Roles
In 1972, Shalala became a professor at Teachers College, Columbia University. She stayed there until 1979. During this time, she helped New York City during a financial crisis in 1975. From 1977 to 1980, she also worked for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Jimmy Carter.
Leading Universities
Shalala became the president of Hunter College in New York City in 1980. She led the college until 1988.
From 1988 to 1993, Shalala was the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This university had 42,000 students and a large budget. She was the first woman to lead a "Big Ten Conference" school. She was also only the second woman to lead a major research university in the U.S.
While at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Shalala supported new rules about student and faculty speech. These rules aimed to prevent harmful speech. Some of these rules were later changed or removed.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services
In 1992, President-elect Bill Clinton chose Shalala to be the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Senate confirmed her on January 22, 1993. This department helps with health and human services for the whole country.
Shalala served as HHS Secretary for all eight years of the Clinton administration. This made her the longest-serving HHS Secretary in history. In 1996, she was chosen as the "designated survivor" during the President's State of the Union speech. This means she would take over if something happened to the President and other leaders. She was also the first Lebanese-American person to serve in a President's Cabinet.
University of Miami Presidency
In 2001, Shalala became the president of the University of Miami. She started a big fundraising effort called "Momentum." This campaign aimed to increase the university's funds to over $1 billion.
During her time at the University of Miami, there was a strike by custodial workers in 2006. They wanted better pay and health insurance. Shalala worked to address their concerns, leading to wage increases.
In 2013, the University of Miami sold some undeveloped land. This land was important for its unique natural habitat. Some environmental groups were against the sale. Shalala announced in 2014 that she would step down as president at the end of the 2014–2015 school year.
Clinton Foundation
In 2015, Shalala became the chief executive officer of the Clinton Foundation. This organization works on global issues like health and poverty. She led the foundation during the 2016 presidential election.
During this time, there were questions about the foundation's activities. Shalala said that donors to the foundation had sometimes received "courtesy appointments" in the State Department. She also oversaw changes to the foundation's operations to avoid any conflicts of interest. She left the Clinton Foundation in April 2017.
Health Update
In September 2015, Shalala had a stroke. She later said that she had recovered fully by early 2018.
U.S. House of Representatives
2018 Election
In March 2018, Shalala decided to run for the United States House of Representatives in Florida's 27th district. The previous representative was retiring. Shalala won the Democratic primary election.
She then ran against Republican candidate María Elvira Salazar. Shalala focused on her experience. The district had many Latino voters, and Shalala did not speak Spanish. Despite this, she won the election at age 77. This made her one of the oldest first-time representatives in history. She was sworn into Congress on January 3, 2019.
2020 Election
In the 2020 election, Shalala ran against María Elvira Salazar again. On November 3, 2020, Shalala was defeated by Salazar.
Time in Congress
On December 18, 2019, Shalala voted to impeach President Donald Trump.
In April 2020, she was appointed to a special commission. This group was created to oversee how the government spent money during the COVID-19 pandemic. There were some reports that she had not publicly reported some stock trades, which is required by law. She paid a fine and remained on the commission.
Shalala was also a vice-chair for the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
Committee Work
While in the House of Representatives, Shalala served on important committees:
- Committee on Education and Labor
- Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
- United States House Education Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
- Committee on Rules
Groups She Joined
Shalala was also a member of several groups in Congress:
- Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus
- Congressional Solar Caucus
Interim Presidency at The New School
After leaving Congress, Shalala was appointed as the interim president of The New School in New York City. She is the first female president of this university. Her administration decided to sell the property assigned to the president.
In October 2023, Shalala faced some criticism for a statement she sent about a sensitive global event. She later sent another statement that included an apology and recognized all affected groups.
Other Activities
Shalala has served on the boards of several companies, including Lennar and Gannett Company. She also served on the board of the United States Soccer Federation.
She has been involved in many civic activities. She is a co-leader for a group focused on nutrition and physical activity. She also works with the Brookings Institution, a research organization. She was part of a group that studied how the U.S. can defend against biological threats.
Awards and Recognition
Shalala has received many honors throughout her career. At the University of Miami, she was inducted into the Iron Arrow Honor Society, which is the highest honor there.
On June 19, 2008, President George W. Bush gave her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2010, she received the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2014, she received the Harry S Truman Legacy of Leadership Award. In 2019, she was named one of the first members of the Government Hall of Fame.
Donna Shalala has also been given more than 50 honorary degrees from different universities.
Images for kids
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U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius (right), Shalala (left), and former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and former HHS Secretary Louis Wade Sullivan (background) in June 2010
See also
In Spanish: Donna Shalala para niños
- List of Arab and Middle Eastern Americans in the United States Congress
- List of female United States Cabinet members
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
