Eunice Kennedy Shriver facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eunice Kennedy Shriver
DSG
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Eunice Mary Kennedy
July 10, 1921 Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S.
|
| Died | August 11, 2009 (aged 88) Hyannis, Massachusetts, U.S.
|
| Resting place | St. Francis Xavier Parish Cemetery, Centerville |
| Alma mater | Stanford University |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children |
|
| Parent(s) | |
| Relatives | |
| Family | Kennedy |
| Signature | |
.jpg){kind=small} |
|
Eunice Mary Kennedy Shriver (July 10, 1921 – August 11, 2009) was an important American leader. She was known for helping people with intellectual disabilities. Eunice was the founder of the Special Olympics. This is a huge sports organization for people with physical and intellectual disabilities.
She was part of the famous Kennedy family. Her brother, John F. Kennedy, was a U.S. President. Her other brothers, Robert F. Kennedy and Edward Kennedy, were U.S. Senators. She was also the sister of Rosemary Kennedy and Jean Kennedy Smith. Eunice was married to Sargent Shriver. He was a U.S. Ambassador and ran for Vice President. For all her work, Eunice received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984. This is a very high award in the United States.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Eunice Mary Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on July 10, 1921. She was the fifth of nine children. Her parents were Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Kennedy. Her siblings included future President John F. Kennedy.
Eunice went to school in London and later attended Manhattanville College. In 1943, she graduated from Stanford University. She earned a degree in sociology, which is the study of how people live in groups.
After college, she worked for the U.S. government. She helped with problems related to war and later with issues of juvenile delinquency (young people breaking laws). She also worked as a social worker. She helped women at a federal prison and later worked with a women's shelter in Chicago.
Championing Disability Rights
In 1957, Eunice became a leader at the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation. She changed its focus to research on intellectual disabilities. She wanted to find better ways to understand and treat these conditions. This passion led to the creation of the Special Olympics.
Eunice was a strong supporter of children's health. She also cared deeply about disability issues. In 1961, she helped create the President's Panel on Mental Retardation. This group helped move people with disabilities from large institutions to living more within their communities. She also helped start the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in 1962. This institute is part of the National Institutes of Health.
Founding the Special Olympics
In 1962, Eunice started Camp Shriver. This was a summer camp for children with special needs. It was held on her farm in Maryland. This camp grew and became the Special Olympics.
Eunice officially founded the Special Olympics in 1968. That year, the first International Special Olympics Summer Games were held in Chicago. She gave a speech at the opening ceremony. She said that "exceptional children — children with mental retardation — can be exceptional athletes." She believed that sports could help them reach their full potential.
Special Olympics Inc. became a nonprofit organization in 1968. Since then, millions of athletes have taken part. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the Special Olympics grew around the world. Eunice helped organize activities for families with special needs children in France.
Other Important Work
In 1982, Eunice founded the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for Community of Caring. This program helps schools teach students about character and disabilities. It has been adopted by many schools in the U.S. and Canada.
Eunice received many awards for her work. In 1984, President Ronald Reagan gave her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This is the highest civilian award in the U.S. She also received the Laetare Medal in 1988. This is a top award for American Catholics.
In 1995, Eunice became the second American, and only woman, to appear on a U.S. coin while still alive. Her picture was on a silver dollar honoring the Special Olympics. The coin had a quote from her: "As we hope for the best in them, hope is reborn in us."
In 1998, she was added to the National Women's Hall of Fame. In 2006, she received a special honor from Pope Benedict XVI. In 2008, the U.S. Congress renamed the NICHD after her. It became the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
In 2009, the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery showed a special portrait of her. It was the first time they commissioned a portrait of someone who wasn't a U.S. president or First Lady. The painting showed her with Special Olympics athletes.
Family and Personal Life
On May 23, 1953, Eunice married Sargent Shriver in New York City. They had five children: Robert, Maria, Timothy, Mark, and Anthony. She also had nineteen grandchildren.
Eunice was very close to her sister, Rosemary Kennedy. Rosemary had intellectual disabilities and later faced health challenges.
Eunice was involved in politics, supporting her brother John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1960. She also supported her son-in-law, Arnold Schwarzenegger, when he ran for Governor of California.
Later Years and Passing
In her later years, Eunice faced some health issues. She had a stroke and broke her hip in 2005.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver passed away on August 11, 2009, at the age of 88. She died in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Her brother, Senator Edward Moore Kennedy, passed away just two weeks later.
After her death, President Barack Obama said she was "an extraordinary woman." He noted that she taught the world that "no physical or mental barrier can restrain the power of the human spirit."
Her funeral service was held on August 14, 2009. She was buried in Centerville, Massachusetts.
See also
In Spanish: Eunice Kennedy Shriver para niños
