Hillary Rodham Clinton ’69

Alumnae Achievement Awards 2003

US Senator, Former First Lady

Hillary Rodham Clinton ’69 is the only first lady to be elected to the United States Senate, as well as the first woman elected to statewide office in New York. In 1973, she graduated from Yale Law School, she was named one of the National Law Journal’s 100 most influential lawyers in America in 1988 and 1991. Senator Clinton was appointed chair of the Legal Services Corporation by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. She served as chair of the American Bar Association’s Committee on Women in the Profession in 1987 and chair of the board of the Children’s Defense Fund from 1986 to 1989.

In 1993, Clinton was appointed by President Bill Clinton to chair the Task Force on National Health Care. Her efforts brought greater visibility to health-care issues, specifically those regarding children and families, and contributed to the development of such initiatives as the Health Security Act of 1994 and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Senator Clinton is recognized internationally for her advocacy for democracy, religious tolerance, and women’s rights. Her Vital Voices program has brought together women from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe to encourage increased participation in their country’s economic and political decisions. She has worked to promote peace in these areas with her husband.

As an author, Senator Clinton has written several best-sellers including, It Takes a Village: and Other Lessons Children Teach Us and An Invitation to the White House. The proceeds from both works were donated to affiliated charities.