Chelsea Clinton
Encyclopedia
Chelsea Victoria Clinton (born February 27, 1980) is a television journalist, currently serving as Special Correspondent for NBC News
, and philanthropist, working through the Clinton Global Initiative. She is the only child of former U.S. President
Bill Clinton
and U.S. Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton
.
Clinton was born in Little Rock, Arkansas
during her father's first term as Governor of Arkansas. She attended public schools there until her father's election to the Presidency of the United States at which time she attended and graduated from the private Sidwell Friends School
in Washington, D.C. She continued her undergraduate education at Stanford University
and earned master's degrees from University College, Oxford
, and Columbia University
's Mailman School of Public Health. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University
. She worked for Avenue Capital Group
, and serves on the board of the School of American Ballet
and IAC/InterActiveCorp.
Between December 2007 and the end of the 2008 primaries, she campaigned extensively across the country, appearing mostly on college campuses, for her mother's ultimately unsuccessful Democratic presidential nomination bid and introduced her mother at the August 2008 Democratic National Convention
.
On July 31, 2010, Clinton married investment banker Marc Mezvinsky in Rhinebeck, New York.
, Arkansas
to Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Hillary described the birth of her daughter as "the most miraculous and awe-inspiring event in my life". As his wife recovered, Bill Clinton took Chelsea for father-daughter "bonding" walks about the hospital singing to her, rocking her, and showing her off. Chelsea was their only child, and the first grandchild for both sets of grandparents. Bill's mother
happily did "a lot of baby-sitting" as did the Rodhams when they visited. At the age of two, Chelsea accompanied her parents as they campaigned by car throughout Arkansas for the gubernatorial office.
Hillary has written that Chelsea's name was inspired by a visit to the Chelsea
section of London
during a Christmas 1978 vacation. She said that upon hearing the 1969 Judy Collins
version of the Joni Mitchell
song, "Chelsea Morning
", Bill remarked, "If we ever have a daughter, her name should be Chelsea."
Chelsea attended Forest Park Elementary School, Booker Arts and Science Magnet Elementary School, and Horace Mann Junior High School
, which are public schools in Little Rock. She skipped the third grade.
Twelve-year-old Chelsea was given the Secret Service codename
"Energy" when she moved into the White House
with her parents on January 20, 1993, the day of her father's first inauguration
. The Clintons wanted their daughter to grow up as normally as possible given their circumstances, and, to that end, hoped to shield her from the media spotlight. Hillary followed Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
' advice on raising children in the White House, and asked the press to limit coverage of Chelsea to her participation in public events such as state visits. The Clintons were supported by Margaret Truman
who wrote a Letter to the Editor of The New York Times
in March 1993 about the damage that could be done if the press made Chelsea a subject of intense coverage. The press complied, but, in 1997, following Chelsea's high school graduation, media speculation regarding her choice of college resulted in heavy press coverage. Chelsea ultimately chose to attend Stanford University. In sum, Chelsea received 32 stories in The New York Times and 87 network news stories during her father's two terms of office (1993–2001). Of all presidential children, Chelsea has received the most television coverage.
The Clintons' decision to send Chelsea to Sidwell Friends
, a private school in Washington, D.C., provoked questions, but her father told the Associated Press
in May 1993 that the decision had been made because Chelsea did not like "getting a lot of publicity" and would have "more control over her destiny." Her mother argued that "if [Chelsea] were to go to a public school, the press would never leave her alone." The criterion affecting their decision was privacy, not quality of education. The school and its students remained silent regarding Chelsea, declining to discuss her publicly and thereby giving her the privacy the First Family sought for her. Chelsea graduated from Sidwell in 1997; her father spoke at the graduation ceremony.
The matter of Chelsea's privacy was debated in the press, and most media outlets concluded that she should be off-limits due to her age. But when Clinton was 13 her appearance became a matter of ridicule for some satirists and commentators, including comments by Rush Limbaugh
and the comedy writers of Saturday Night Live
. In 1995, freelance writer Tom Gogola released a tape of songs purportedly recorded by Clinton which commented upon notable people and included lyrics like "let's inhale"; the tape proved to be a hoax. Gogola defended the tape, saying "None of it had to do with being mean to Chelsea. Satire is satire". During this phase of Chelsea's life, her father said, "We really work hard on making sure that Chelsea doesn't let other people define her sense of her own self worth... It's tough when you are an adolescent... [b]ut I think she'll be OK."
Though her father is a Southern Baptist, Chelsea has been raised in her mother's Methodist faith
. She attended Foundry United Methodist Church on 16th Street, NW in Washington and met with other teens on Sunday mornings to examine questions of faith and philosophy, and teen concerns such as dating, parents, and friendship. Her parents joined her at the church's parent-teen round tables. An adult group leader thought Chelsea "a terrific kid" and observed she was treated as an equal in the group. Away from church, Chelsea's social activities included visits to a Planet Hollywood
restaurant with friends and sleep-overs in and out of the White House. President Clinton sometimes joined Chelsea and her sleep-over friends for breakfast.
Clinton began dance classes at four years of age in Arkansas, and was a student at the Washington School of Ballet for several years. She was cast in the role of the Favorite Aunt (1993) in the Washington Ballet
production of Tchaikovsky
's The Nutcracker
.
Clinton was a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist in 1997, and is a veteran of the Model United Nations
.
In early 1999, the Clintons learned of an article in the works at People that examined the First Family's relationships in the wake of the scandals and impending vote on President Clinton's impeachment. Notified about the article by the First Lady's office, the Secret Service
contacted the magazine with their own concerns that the story could complicate Chelsea's security. The decision had been made to run the story however, and Bill and Hillary issued a statement expressing their regret and sadness. Carol Wallace, People managing editor, affirmed the magazine's sensitivity to the Clinton concerns about their daughter, but felt 19-year-old Chelsea was "an eyewitness to family drama and historical events" and thus "a valid journalistic subject". The article, entitled "Grace Under Fire", was published on February 5, 1999 with a cover photo depicting Chelsea and Hillary.
In 2000, the last year of her father's presidency, Chelsea assumed some White House hostess responsibilities when her mother was campaigning for the U.S. Senate, traveling with her father on several overseas trips and attending state dinners with him.
The week before she arrived on campus, her mother wrote a letter in her syndicated column asking journalists to leave her daughter alone. Chelsea arrived at Stanford in a motorcade with her parents, Secret Service men, and almost 250 journalists. For her security, bullet-proof glass was installed in her dorm windows and cameras placed in hallways. In addition, Secret Service men dressed as students lived in her dorm. Other than an occasional tabloid story written about her, Chelsea's four years at Stanford remained out of public view.
Clinton graduated in 2001 with highest honors and a B.A.
in history
. The topic of her 150-page undergraduate thesis was the 1998 Belfast Agreement
in Northern Ireland
, for which she interviewed her father. At the time of Chelsea's graduation, President Clinton issued a statement saying, "Hillary and I are grateful for the friendships and great learning experiences Chelsea had at Stanford, and we are very proud of her on this special day."
In July 2001, President Clinton revealed at Wimbledon that Chelsea would attend University College, Oxford
in the fall – the same college where he studied politics between 1968 and 1970 on a Rhodes Scholarship
. Chelsea did not apply for a Rhodes. The Master of University College, Lord Butler of Brockwell, said he was delighted she was attending: "Her record at Stanford shows that she is a very well-qualified and able student. The college is also pleased to extend its link with the Clinton family." The university implemented security measures upon the recommendation of British and American advisors, and fellow students were asked not to discuss her with the press.
Arriving at Oxford just after the September 11 attacks on the United States, Chelsea was drawn to other American students who were also feeling the emotional after-effects of the trauma. She told Talk
magazine:
She was criticized for those early remarks in the London press and by the newspaper Oxford Student, which angered the university by directly attacking her in an editorial.
But she was described as charming, poised and unaffected by people who met her, and she appeared to successfully adjust to life abroad. During her time at Oxford, Chelsea adopted a more sophisticated look, reportedly assisted by family friend Donatella Versace
, whose couture shows she attended in early 2002. Geordie Greig
, the editor of Tatler
, ranked her No. 5 on the magazine's 2002 "Top 10 Girls" list, behind Jessica de Rothschild and Sophie Dahl
.
Clinton was awarded an M.Phil.
in international relations
in 2003. Following graduation, she returned to the States, taking up residence in New York City.
degree at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
. She is presently pursuing doctoral studies at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University
.
in New York City
, and went to work for Avenue Capital Group
in the fall of 2006. She served as co-chairperson for a fund-raising week for the Clinton Foundation
, and serves on the board of the School of American Ballet
. On September 22, 2011, she was elected to IAC's board of directors.
On November 14, 2011, NBC
announced that it has hired Clinton as a full-time correspondent, reporting feature stories about "Making a Difference" for NBC Nightly News
and Rock Center with Brian Williams
. She will continue to work for the Clinton Foundation.
On the campaign trail, Chelsea answered audience questions but did not give interviews or respond to press questions, including one from a nine year old Scholastic News
reporter asking whether or not her father would be a good "first man"." She replied, ""I'm sorry, I don't talk to the press and that applies to you, unfortunately. Even though I think you're cute". Philippe Reines
, her mother's press secretary
, intervened when the press attempted to approach Chelsea directly.
When MSNBC
reporter David Shuster
characterized Chelsea's participation in her mother's campaign as "sort of being pimped out", the Clinton campaign objected. Shuster subsequently apologized on-air and was suspended for two weeks.
The first time a college student asked about her mother's handling of the Lewinsky scandal
at a campaign stop she responded, "I do not think that is any of your business". But as she became a more experienced campaigner she refined her response and deflected questions on the issue with comments like "If that's what you want to vote on, that's what you should vote on. But I think there are other people [who are] going to vote on things like healthcare and economics."
On August 26 at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
, Chelsea called Hillary "my hero and my mother" and introduced her with a long video tribute. After this appearance she returned to New York City and her private life.
. The estate at that time was the home of Hillary Clinton supporter Kathleen Hammer, once a producer at Oxygen Media, and Arthur Seelbinder, a developer and businessman.
Mezvinsky was born December 15, 1977 to former Iowa
Democratic congressman Edward Mezvinsky
and former Pennsylvania
Democratic congresswoman Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky
, and is one of their 11 adopted and biological children. He was raised in the Conservative
Jewish tradition.
The Clintons and the Mezvinskys were friends in the 1990s and their children met on a Renaissance Weekend
retreat in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
. They first were reported to be a couple in 2005, and became engaged over Thanksgiving
weekend in 2009.
Marc was a Goldman Sachs
investment banker, and, at the time of the marriage, an investment banker at 3G Capital Management. The couple live in New York City's Gramercy Park
neighborhood.
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
, and philanthropist, working through the Clinton Global Initiative. She is the only child of former U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and U.S. Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
.
Clinton was born in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
during her father's first term as Governor of Arkansas. She attended public schools there until her father's election to the Presidency of the United States at which time she attended and graduated from the private Sidwell Friends School
Sidwell Friends School
Sidwell Friends School is a Quaker private school located in Bethesda, Maryland and Washington, D.C., offering pre-kindergarten through secondary school classes. Founded in 1883 by Thomas Sidwell, its motto is "Eluceat omnibus lux" , alluding to the Quaker concept of inner light...
in Washington, D.C. She continued her undergraduate education at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and earned master's degrees from University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
, and Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's Mailman School of Public Health. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. She worked for Avenue Capital Group
Avenue Capital Group
Avenue Capital Group is an American investment firm focusing on distressed securities and private equity with regional teams focusing on opportunities in the United States, Europe and Asia. The firm operates as both a private equity firm and as a hedge fund...
, and serves on the board of the School of American Ballet
School of American Ballet
The School of American Ballet is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the New York City Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The school trains students from the...
and IAC/InterActiveCorp.
Between December 2007 and the end of the 2008 primaries, she campaigned extensively across the country, appearing mostly on college campuses, for her mother's ultimately unsuccessful Democratic presidential nomination bid and introduced her mother at the August 2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
.
On July 31, 2010, Clinton married investment banker Marc Mezvinsky in Rhinebeck, New York.
Early years
Chelsea Victoria Clinton was born three weeks early on February 27, 1980 in Little RockLittle Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
to Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Hillary described the birth of her daughter as "the most miraculous and awe-inspiring event in my life". As his wife recovered, Bill Clinton took Chelsea for father-daughter "bonding" walks about the hospital singing to her, rocking her, and showing her off. Chelsea was their only child, and the first grandchild for both sets of grandparents. Bill's mother
Virginia Clinton Kelley
Virginia Clinton Kelley was the mother of former United States President Bill Clinton.She was born Virginia Dell Cassidy, the daughter of James Eldridge Cassidy , the town iceman , and Edith Cassidy , a nurse anesthetist...
happily did "a lot of baby-sitting" as did the Rodhams when they visited. At the age of two, Chelsea accompanied her parents as they campaigned by car throughout Arkansas for the gubernatorial office.
Hillary has written that Chelsea's name was inspired by a visit to the Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
section of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
during a Christmas 1978 vacation. She said that upon hearing the 1969 Judy Collins
Judy Collins
Judith Marjorie "Judy" Collins is an American singer and songwriter, known for her eclectic tastes in the material she records ; and for her social activism. She is an alumna of the University of Colorado.-Musical career:Collins was born and raised in Seattle, Washington...
version of the Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
song, "Chelsea Morning
Chelsea Morning
"Chelsea Morning" is a song written by Joni Mitchell and introduced on the singer's 1969 album Clouds..The song was inspired by Mitchell's room in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. The inspiration for the first verse comes partly from the distinct décor of her apartment...
", Bill remarked, "If we ever have a daughter, her name should be Chelsea."
Chelsea attended Forest Park Elementary School, Booker Arts and Science Magnet Elementary School, and Horace Mann Junior High School
Mann Arts and Science Magnet Middle School
Horace Mann Arts and Sciences Magnet Middle School is a magnet middle school located in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. It is part of the Little Rock School District. The school was named after Congressman Horace Mann.-History:...
, which are public schools in Little Rock. She skipped the third grade.
White House years
Secret Service codename
The United States Secret Service uses code names for U.S. presidents, first ladies, and other prominent persons and locations. The use of such names was originally for security purposes and dates to a time when sensitive electronic communications were not routinely encrypted; today, the names...
"Energy" when she moved into the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
with her parents on January 20, 1993, the day of her father's first inauguration
Bill Clinton 1993 presidential inauguration
The first inauguration of Bill Clinton as the 42nd President of the United States took place on January 20, 1993. The inauguration marked the beginning of the first four-year term of Bill Clinton as President and Al Gore as Vice President...
. The Clintons wanted their daughter to grow up as normally as possible given their circumstances, and, to that end, hoped to shield her from the media spotlight. Hillary followed Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle...
' advice on raising children in the White House, and asked the press to limit coverage of Chelsea to her participation in public events such as state visits. The Clintons were supported by Margaret Truman
Margaret Truman
Mary Margaret Truman Daniel , also known as Margaret Truman or Margaret Daniel, was an American singer who later became a successful writer. The only child of US President Harry S...
who wrote a Letter to the Editor of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
in March 1993 about the damage that could be done if the press made Chelsea a subject of intense coverage. The press complied, but, in 1997, following Chelsea's high school graduation, media speculation regarding her choice of college resulted in heavy press coverage. Chelsea ultimately chose to attend Stanford University. In sum, Chelsea received 32 stories in The New York Times and 87 network news stories during her father's two terms of office (1993–2001). Of all presidential children, Chelsea has received the most television coverage.
The Clintons' decision to send Chelsea to Sidwell Friends
Sidwell Friends School
Sidwell Friends School is a Quaker private school located in Bethesda, Maryland and Washington, D.C., offering pre-kindergarten through secondary school classes. Founded in 1883 by Thomas Sidwell, its motto is "Eluceat omnibus lux" , alluding to the Quaker concept of inner light...
, a private school in Washington, D.C., provoked questions, but her father told the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
in May 1993 that the decision had been made because Chelsea did not like "getting a lot of publicity" and would have "more control over her destiny." Her mother argued that "if [Chelsea] were to go to a public school, the press would never leave her alone." The criterion affecting their decision was privacy, not quality of education. The school and its students remained silent regarding Chelsea, declining to discuss her publicly and thereby giving her the privacy the First Family sought for her. Chelsea graduated from Sidwell in 1997; her father spoke at the graduation ceremony.
The matter of Chelsea's privacy was debated in the press, and most media outlets concluded that she should be off-limits due to her age. But when Clinton was 13 her appearance became a matter of ridicule for some satirists and commentators, including comments by Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
and the comedy writers of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. In 1995, freelance writer Tom Gogola released a tape of songs purportedly recorded by Clinton which commented upon notable people and included lyrics like "let's inhale"; the tape proved to be a hoax. Gogola defended the tape, saying "None of it had to do with being mean to Chelsea. Satire is satire". During this phase of Chelsea's life, her father said, "We really work hard on making sure that Chelsea doesn't let other people define her sense of her own self worth... It's tough when you are an adolescent... [b]ut I think she'll be OK."
Though her father is a Southern Baptist, Chelsea has been raised in her mother's Methodist faith
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
. She attended Foundry United Methodist Church on 16th Street, NW in Washington and met with other teens on Sunday mornings to examine questions of faith and philosophy, and teen concerns such as dating, parents, and friendship. Her parents joined her at the church's parent-teen round tables. An adult group leader thought Chelsea "a terrific kid" and observed she was treated as an equal in the group. Away from church, Chelsea's social activities included visits to a Planet Hollywood
Planet Hollywood
Planet Hollywood, a restaurant inspired by the popular portrayal of Hollywood, was launched in New York on October 22, 1991, with the backing of Hollywood stars Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.-History:...
restaurant with friends and sleep-overs in and out of the White House. President Clinton sometimes joined Chelsea and her sleep-over friends for breakfast.
Clinton began dance classes at four years of age in Arkansas, and was a student at the Washington School of Ballet for several years. She was cast in the role of the Favorite Aunt (1993) in the Washington Ballet
Washington Ballet
The Washington Ballet is an ensemble of professional athletic classical ballet dancers. It was founded in 1976 by American ballet pioneer Mary Day, and has been under the artistic directorship of Septime Webre since 1999.-The Mary Day years :...
production of Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
's The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
.
Clinton was a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist in 1997, and is a veteran of the Model United Nations
Model United Nations
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
.
In early 1999, the Clintons learned of an article in the works at People that examined the First Family's relationships in the wake of the scandals and impending vote on President Clinton's impeachment. Notified about the article by the First Lady's office, the Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
contacted the magazine with their own concerns that the story could complicate Chelsea's security. The decision had been made to run the story however, and Bill and Hillary issued a statement expressing their regret and sadness. Carol Wallace, People managing editor, affirmed the magazine's sensitivity to the Clinton concerns about their daughter, but felt 19-year-old Chelsea was "an eyewitness to family drama and historical events" and thus "a valid journalistic subject". The article, entitled "Grace Under Fire", was published on February 5, 1999 with a cover photo depicting Chelsea and Hillary.
In 2000, the last year of her father's presidency, Chelsea assumed some White House hostess responsibilities when her mother was campaigning for the U.S. Senate, traveling with her father on several overseas trips and attending state dinners with him.
Stanford University
Clinton entered Stanford in the fall of 1997 planning to major in chemistry and with an interest in studying medicine, but eventually changed her major to history.The week before she arrived on campus, her mother wrote a letter in her syndicated column asking journalists to leave her daughter alone. Chelsea arrived at Stanford in a motorcade with her parents, Secret Service men, and almost 250 journalists. For her security, bullet-proof glass was installed in her dorm windows and cameras placed in hallways. In addition, Secret Service men dressed as students lived in her dorm. Other than an occasional tabloid story written about her, Chelsea's four years at Stanford remained out of public view.
Clinton graduated in 2001 with highest honors and a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
. The topic of her 150-page undergraduate thesis was the 1998 Belfast Agreement
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, for which she interviewed her father. At the time of Chelsea's graduation, President Clinton issued a statement saying, "Hillary and I are grateful for the friendships and great learning experiences Chelsea had at Stanford, and we are very proud of her on this special day."
University College, Oxford
University College, Oxford
.University College , is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2009 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £110m...
in the fall – the same college where he studied politics between 1968 and 1970 on a Rhodes Scholarship
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
. Chelsea did not apply for a Rhodes. The Master of University College, Lord Butler of Brockwell, said he was delighted she was attending: "Her record at Stanford shows that she is a very well-qualified and able student. The college is also pleased to extend its link with the Clinton family." The university implemented security measures upon the recommendation of British and American advisors, and fellow students were asked not to discuss her with the press.
Arriving at Oxford just after the September 11 attacks on the United States, Chelsea was drawn to other American students who were also feeling the emotional after-effects of the trauma. She told Talk
Talk (magazine)
Talk was an American magazine published from 1999 to 2001.When it was launched as a joint venture between Miramax and Hearst Publishing, under the editorship of Tina Brown , it generated notoriety for its celebrity profiles and interviews...
magazine:
She was criticized for those early remarks in the London press and by the newspaper Oxford Student, which angered the university by directly attacking her in an editorial.
But she was described as charming, poised and unaffected by people who met her, and she appeared to successfully adjust to life abroad. During her time at Oxford, Chelsea adopted a more sophisticated look, reportedly assisted by family friend Donatella Versace
Donatella Versace
Donatella Versace is an Italian fashion designer and current Vice-President of the Versace Group, as well as chief designer. She owns 20 percent of the entire stock market assets of Versace. Her brother, Santo Versace, owns 30 percent...
, whose couture shows she attended in early 2002. Geordie Greig
Geordie Greig
Geordie Greig is a British journalist and newspaper editor. He is the editor of the Evening Standard newspaper. He attended Eton College and St Peter's College, Oxford.-Journalism career:...
, the editor of Tatler
Tatler
Tatler has been the name of several British journals and magazines, each of which has viewed itself as the successor of the original literary and society journal founded by Richard Steele in 1709. The current incarnation, founded in 1901, is a glossy magazine published by Condé Nast Publications...
, ranked her No. 5 on the magazine's 2002 "Top 10 Girls" list, behind Jessica de Rothschild and Sophie Dahl
Sophie Dahl
Sophie Dahl , born Sophie Holloway, is an English author and former model. She was born in London, the daughter of actor Julian Holloway and writer Tessa Dahl. Her maternal grandparents were author Roald Dahl and actress Patricia Neal. Her paternal grandparents were actor Stanley Holloway and...
.
Clinton was awarded an M.Phil.
Master of Philosophy
The Master of Philosophy is a postgraduate research degree.An M.Phil. is a lesser degree than a Doctor of Philosophy , but in many cases it is considered to be a more senior degree than a taught Master's degree, as it is often a thesis-only degree. In some instances, an M.Phil...
in international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
in 2003. Following graduation, she returned to the States, taking up residence in New York City.
Columbia University and New York University
In the spring of 2010, Clinton completed a Master of Public HealthMaster of Public Health
The Master of Public Health and the Doctor of Public Health are multi-disciplinary professional degrees awarded for studies in areas related to public health....
degree at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
Columbia Mailman School of Public Health
The Columbia Mailman School of Public Health is one of the schools of Columbia University in New York City. It is one of the first schools of public health recognized by the Council on Education for Public Health and remains a leading academic and research institution. The beginnings of the school...
. She is presently pursuing doctoral studies at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
.
Professional life
In 2003, Clinton joined the consulting firm McKinsey & CompanyMcKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company, Inc. is a global management consulting firm that focuses on solving issues of concern to senior management. McKinsey serves as an adviser to many businesses, governments, and institutions...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and went to work for Avenue Capital Group
Avenue Capital Group
Avenue Capital Group is an American investment firm focusing on distressed securities and private equity with regional teams focusing on opportunities in the United States, Europe and Asia. The firm operates as both a private equity firm and as a hedge fund...
in the fall of 2006. She served as co-chairperson for a fund-raising week for the Clinton Foundation
Clinton Foundation
The William J. Clinton Foundation is a foundation established by former President of the United States Bill Clinton with the stated mission to "strengthen the capacity of people throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence." The Foundation focuses on four critical areas:...
, and serves on the board of the School of American Ballet
School of American Ballet
The School of American Ballet is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the New York City Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The school trains students from the...
. On September 22, 2011, she was elected to IAC's board of directors.
On November 14, 2011, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
announced that it has hired Clinton as a full-time correspondent, reporting feature stories about "Making a Difference" for NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
and Rock Center with Brian Williams
Rock Center with Brian Williams
Rock Center with Brian Williams is an American weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC, and hosted by NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams...
. She will continue to work for the Clinton Foundation.
Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign
In December 2007, Clinton began campaigning in Iowa in support of her mother's bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. She appeared across the country, largely on college campuses. By early April 2008, she had spoken at 100 colleges on behalf of her mother's candidacy.On the campaign trail, Chelsea answered audience questions but did not give interviews or respond to press questions, including one from a nine year old Scholastic News
Scholastic News Kids Press Corps
The Scholastic News Kids Press Corps is a group of about 80 kids aged 9–14, who report on current events, breaking news, entertainment, and sports events from across the United States for Scholastic News Classroom Magazine and Scholastic's website....
reporter asking whether or not her father would be a good "first man"." She replied, ""I'm sorry, I don't talk to the press and that applies to you, unfortunately. Even though I think you're cute". Philippe Reines
Philippe Reines
Philippe I. Reines joined the State Department as a Senior Advisor to United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when she was sworn into office in January 2009, and was later promoted to the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State.In its Dec 2009 profile of Hillary Clinton, Vogue...
, her mother's press secretary
Press secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
, intervened when the press attempted to approach Chelsea directly.
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
reporter David Shuster
David Shuster
David Martin Shuster is an American television journalist who has been an anchor for MSNBC and who has also worked for Fox News and CNN. He anchored MSNBC Live weekdays from 10-11am and 3-4pm ET and filled in for Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz and Rachel Maddow on their respective shows...
characterized Chelsea's participation in her mother's campaign as "sort of being pimped out", the Clinton campaign objected. Shuster subsequently apologized on-air and was suspended for two weeks.
The first time a college student asked about her mother's handling of the Lewinsky scandal
Lewinsky scandal
The Lewinsky scandal was a political sex scandal emerging in 1998 from a sexual relationship between United States President Bill Clinton and a 25-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. The news of this extra-marital affair and the resulting investigation eventually led to the impeachment of...
at a campaign stop she responded, "I do not think that is any of your business". But as she became a more experienced campaigner she refined her response and deflected questions on the issue with comments like "If that's what you want to vote on, that's what you should vote on. But I think there are other people [who are] going to vote on things like healthcare and economics."
On August 26 at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
, Chelsea called Hillary "my hero and my mother" and introduced her with a long video tribute. After this appearance she returned to New York City and her private life.
Engagement and marriage
On July 31, 2010, Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky were married in an interfaith ceremony at Rhinebeck, New York. The venue for the nuptials was Astor Courts, a 50-acre, 1902 Beaux-Arts estate on a bluff overlooking the Hudson RiverHudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. The estate at that time was the home of Hillary Clinton supporter Kathleen Hammer, once a producer at Oxygen Media, and Arthur Seelbinder, a developer and businessman.
Mezvinsky was born December 15, 1977 to former Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
Democratic congressman Edward Mezvinsky
Edward Mezvinsky
Edward "Ed" Mezvinsky is a former congressman. A Democrat, he represented Iowa's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for two terms, from 1973 to 1977....
and former Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Democratic congresswoman Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky
Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky
Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania and a women's right activist. She is a former journalist and a former politician for the Democratic Party. From 1993 to 1995 she was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing...
, and is one of their 11 adopted and biological children. He was raised in the Conservative
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
Jewish tradition.
The Clintons and the Mezvinskys were friends in the 1990s and their children met on a Renaissance Weekend
Renaissance Weekend
Renaissance Weekend is an American retreat for leaders in business and finance, government, the media, religion, medicine, science, technology and the arts. Conversations are off the record and subject matter ranges widely, tending to focus heavily on policy and business issues.-History:Founded in...
retreat in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Hilton Head Island or Hilton Head is a resort town in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is north of Savannah, Georgia, and south of Charleston. The island gets its name from Captain William Hilton...
. They first were reported to be a couple in 2005, and became engaged over Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
weekend in 2009.
Marc was a Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
investment banker, and, at the time of the marriage, an investment banker at 3G Capital Management. The couple live in New York City's Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park is a small, fenced-in private park in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park is at the core of both the neighborhood referred to as either Gramercy or Gramercy Park and the Gramercy Park Historic District...
neighborhood.