Madeleine Kunin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Madeleine Kunin
United States Ambassador to Liechtenstein
In office March 14, 1997 – August 16, 1999
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	M. Larry Lawrence
Succeeded by	J. Richard Fredericks
United States Ambassador to Switzerland
In office August 19, 1996 – August 16, 1999
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	M. Larry Lawrence
Succeeded by	J. Richard Fredericks
United States Deputy Secretary of Education
In office 1993–1996
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	David T. Kearns
Succeeded by	Marshall S. Smith
77th Governor of Vermont
In office January 10, 1985 – January 10, 1991
Lieutenant	Peter Plympton Smith Howard Dean
Preceded by	Richard A. Snelling
Succeeded by	Richard A. Snelling
75th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
In office January 10, 1979 – January 10, 1983
Governor	Richard A. Snelling
Preceded by	T. Garry Buckley
Succeeded by	Peter Plympton Smith
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives
In office January 5, 1973 – January 5, 1979 Serving with Evelyn Jarrett (1973–1975), Mary Evelti (1975–1979)
Preceded by	George Little Jr., Evelyn Jarrett
Succeeded by	Mary Evelti, Pamela Erkson
Constituency	Chittenden 1-8 (1973–1975), Chittenden 4-8 (1975–1979)
Personal details
Born	Madeleine May (1933-09-28) September 28, 1933 (age 91) Zürich, Switzerland
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Arthur Kunin ​ ​ (m. 1959; div. 1995)​ John Hennessey Jr. ​ ​ (m. 2006; died 2018)​
Education	University of Massachusetts Amherst (BA) Columbia University (MA) University of Vermont (MA)

Madeleine Kunin (born September 28, 1933) is an American diplomat, author, and politician. She was born in Switzerland. She served as the 77th Governor of Vermont from 1985 to 1991. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Madeleine Kunin also served as the United States Ambassador to Switzerland from 1996 to 1999. She was Vermont's first and only female governor. She was also the first Jewish governor of Vermont. She was the first Jewish woman elected governor of a U.S. state. Since 2003, Kunin has been a special professor at the University of Vermont.

Kunin was also the Lieutenant Governor of Vermont from 1979 to 1983. She ran for governor in 1982 but did not win. She was elected governor in 1984. She won reelection in 1986 and again in 1988. In 1990, she chose not to run for governor again.

Her Early Life and Path to Politics

Madeleine Kunin was born on September 28, 1933, in Zürich, Switzerland. Her parents were Renee (Bloch) and Ferdinand May. Her family were German Jews who moved to Switzerland to escape the Nazis.

She moved to the United States when she was a child. She earned her bachelor's degree in history from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1956. She also earned master's degrees from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and the University of Vermont.

Before becoming a politician, she worked as a journalist for The Burlington Free Press. She was also a tour guide at the World's Fair. She taught college part-time. She was very active in her community, especially working for women's rights, children, and literature.

Starting Her Political Journey

In 1972, Kunin tried to join the Burlington Board of Aldermen but was not elected. Later that year, she was elected as a Vermont State Representative. In her first term, she worked on the Government Operations Committee.

After being reelected in 1974, she became the Minority Whip of the State House. She was also appointed to the Appropriations Committee. After winning a third term in 1976, she became the Chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee. She was the first woman to hold this important position.

Madeleine Kunin has shared that Emory A. Hebard was a mentor to her. Hebard was a conservative Republican. He gave her important responsibilities even though she was a Democrat. When Hebard left the House, he helped Kunin become the committee chairwoman.

Serving Vermont as Lieutenant Governor and Governor

In 1978, she was elected as the 75th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont. She served two terms in this role. She worked with Republican Governor Richard A. Snelling.

As Lieutenant Governor, Kunin mainly served as the President of the State Senate. She also worked with people across the state. She created studies on topics like energy and childcare. She made suggestions for new policies to the Governor and Legislature. Kunin often gave speeches throughout Vermont during her time as lieutenant governor.

Becoming Governor of Vermont

Kunin did not run for Lieutenant Governor again in 1982. Instead, she ran for governor against Richard Snelling. She did not win that election. However, in 1984, Snelling did not run for reelection. Kunin became the Democratic candidate and won the election. She defeated Republican John J. Easton Jr.. This was the first of her three terms as governor.

In 1986, Kunin ran for her second term as governor. Her opponents were Republican Peter Plympton Smith and independent Bernie Sanders. Kunin won with 47 percent of the vote.

She is the first woman in U.S. history to be elected governor of a U.S. state three times. As governor, she focused on protecting the environment. She also worked on improving education and helping children. She appointed the first woman to the Vermont Supreme Court. She also created Vermont's family court system. In 1990, she decided not to seek reelection.

National and International Service

Madeleine Kunin was part of President Bill Clinton's administration. She served as the Deputy Secretary of Education from 1993 to 1997. After that, she became the ambassador to her home country, Switzerland, and also to Liechtenstein.

Before joining the Clinton Administration, she helped with Clinton's presidential campaign. She was on the team that looked for a vice presidential candidate. She also worked on the team that helped with the change of power.

Her time as ambassador to Switzerland was important. During this period, Switzerland-United States relations involved discussions about Switzerland's role during World War II. The Swiss government took steps to re-evaluate its history. They also worked to address old bank accounts that had been inactive for many years.

Her Life and Writings

Kunin has written several books. These include Coming of Age: My Journey to the Eighties (2018) and The New Feminist Agenda: Defining the Next Revolution for Women, Work, and Family (2012). She also wrote Pearls, Politics, and Power: How Women Can Win and Lead (2008). Her book Living a Political Life (1995) tells the story of her career before she joined the U.S. Department of Education. She lives in Burlington, Vermont.

Madeleine Kunin has four children, including her daughter Julia Kunin. She was married to Arthur Kunin. She later married John W. Hennessey Jr., a professor at Dartmouth College.

Kunin's brother was the late Edgar May. He was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. He also served in both the Vermont House of Representatives and the Vermont State Senate.

Awards and Recognitions

Madeleine Kunin has received more than twenty honorary degrees. These are special degrees given to honor her achievements.

In 1995, she received the Foreign Language Advocacy Award. This award recognized her support for education. It also honored her work for equal opportunities for all children. She was also recognized for supporting fair salaries for teachers.

See also

• List of U.S. state governors born outside the United States