Harriet Mayor Fulbright
Encyclopedia
Harriet Anna Mayor Fulbright (born December 13, 1933) is the widow of United States Senator
J. William Fulbright
and the former Executive Director of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities
under President Bill Clinton
. She currently serves as President of the J. William and Harriet Fulbright Center
.
, New York
on December 13, 1933. Her father, Brantz Mayor, worked for Time Magazine. She has five siblings, one of whom is bestselling mystery author Archer Mayor
. The family moved often during Fulbright's youth and as a consequence, she spent much of her childhood in Washington, D.C.
, New York City
and Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
.
Her first overseas experience was at the age of 14, when she traveled to Colombia
for a summer study program. She continued her education at Radcliffe College
, the women's college counterpart to Harvard University
, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts
in 1955. In 1975, Fulbright earned her MFA
from the George Washington University
in Washington, D.C.
Fulbright married in 1953 and gave birth to three daughters. The family spent two years each stationed in the USSR and South Korea and one year in Germany. She taught English each country and would continue to teach for many years to come.
and moved the headquarters from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
to Washington, D.C. Senator Fulbright was on the board of the Fulbright Association at the time and the two began spending a great deal of time together. As a result, the two were married on March 10], 1990, in a private ceremony at Senator Fulbright's home in Washington. After marrying, the two traveled extensively. Notable trips included a journey to Japan for the publication of Fulbright's autobiography, Against the Arrogance of Power: My Personal History, Moscow
and Germany
after the fall of the Berlin Wall
and Hawaii
. Near the end of January 1995, Senator Fulbright suffered a stroke. He died shortly after, on February 9, 1995.
. In 2006, she created the J. William & Harriet Fulbright Center, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting peace through international education and furthering her late husband's legacy. She currently serves as president of the organization. Recently, Fulbright celebrated her 75th birthday in Washington.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
J. William Fulbright
J. William Fulbright
James William Fulbright was a United States Senator representing Arkansas from 1945 to 1975.Fulbright was a Southern Democrat and a staunch multilateralist who supported the creation of the United Nations and the longest serving chairman in the history of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee...
and the former Executive Director of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities
President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities
The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities was established in Washington, DC in 1982 by an Executive Order from President Ronald Reagan and works with each Administration to incorporate the arts and the humanities into White House objectives....
under President 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...
. She currently serves as President of the J. William and Harriet Fulbright Center
J. William and Harriet Fulbright Center
The J. William & Harriet Fulbright Center is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Washington, D.C., whose mission is to "...foster peace and justice through collaboration." The center is not related to the Fulbright Scholarship Program, aside from the Fulbright Name. The center was...
.
Early life and education
Harriet Fulbright was born in New York CityNew 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...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
on December 13, 1933. Her father, Brantz Mayor, worked for Time Magazine. She has five siblings, one of whom is bestselling mystery author Archer Mayor
Archer Mayor
Archer Mayor is the author of the Joe Gunther detective series. Archer is a Yale graduate and lives in Newfane, Vermont, USA.Before turning to popular fiction, Mayor held several jobs, both in the US and in France, working as an editor, researcher for Time–Life books, photography and journalist...
. The family moved often during Fulbright's youth and as a consequence, she spent much of her childhood in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, 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 Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Her first overseas experience was at the age of 14, when she traveled to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
for a summer study program. She continued her education at Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
, the women's college counterpart to Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts
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 1955. In 1975, Fulbright earned her MFA
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
from the George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
in Washington, D.C.
Fulbright married in 1953 and gave birth to three daughters. The family spent two years each stationed in the USSR and South Korea and one year in Germany. She taught English each country and would continue to teach for many years to come.
Life with Senator Fulbright
In 1987, Fulbright served as the Executive Director of the Fulbright AssociationFulbright Association
The Fulbright Association is a U.S.-based membership organization of Fulbright Program alumni and supporters committed to fostering international awareness and understanding through:*Advocating increased worldwide support for Fulbright exchanges;...
and moved the headquarters from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Bryn Mawr from Welsh for "big hill") is a census-designated place in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia along Lancaster Avenue and the border with Delaware County...
to Washington, D.C. Senator Fulbright was on the board of the Fulbright Association at the time and the two began spending a great deal of time together. As a result, the two were married on March 10], 1990, in a private ceremony at Senator Fulbright's home in Washington. After marrying, the two traveled extensively. Notable trips included a journey to Japan for the publication of Fulbright's autobiography, Against the Arrogance of Power: My Personal History, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
after the fall of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
and Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. Near the end of January 1995, Senator Fulbright suffered a stroke. He died shortly after, on February 9, 1995.
Recent activities
Harriet Fulbright serves as an "unofficial ambassador" for the Fulbright Program and is often invited to speak at events that range from university commencements to milestone anniversaries for Fulbright Commissions around the world who are celebrating the presence of her late husband's educational exchange program in their respective countries. As a result of her status as an international figure of peace and education, she has received many awards and honorary degrees. She currently sits on the advisory board of the Alliance for PeacebuildingAlliance for Peacebuilding
Alliance for Peacebuilding is a 501 non-profit membership organization based in Washington, DC. The stated mission of the Alliance for Peacebuilding is to build sustainable peace and security worldwide...
. In 2006, she created the J. William & Harriet Fulbright Center, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting peace through international education and furthering her late husband's legacy. She currently serves as president of the organization. Recently, Fulbright celebrated her 75th birthday in Washington.
Awards and honors
Fulbright has received numerous honor and accolades throughout her career. Below is a partial list:| Type | Bestower | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Honorary Doctorate of Law | University of Scranton | 1996 |
| Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters | Long Island University | 1997 |
| Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero | The Government of the Republic of Panama | 1997 |
| Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters | Bank Street College of Education | 2000 |
| Arts in Education Award | Fillmore Arts Center | 2001 |
| Middle Cross of the Order of Merit | The Republic of Hungary | 2002 |
| Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters | University of Development Studies, Ghana | 2004 |
| Hubert H. Humphrey Humanities Award | Association of Teachers of Social Science | 2004 |
| Rotary Person of the Year Award | Rotary International | 2005 |
| Honorary Benet Fellow of the School of International Studies | Oklahoma State University | 2006 |
| Honorary Member of the Order of Australia Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"... |
The Governor-General of Australia Governor-General of Australia The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth... |
2006 |
| Honorary Degree in Humane Letters | Pace University | 2006 |
| Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy and Physics | Stevens Institute of Technology | 2006 |