Hilary Clinton

Hilary Rodham Clinton arrived at the White House after serving as First Lady of Arkansas for 12 years. During that time she had managed many roles: wife, mother, and homemaker; full-time partner in a law firm and chairwoman of an education committee that set public school standards in Arkansas. On many occasions Hillary Clinton has spoken about the need "to find the right balance in our lives. "For her, the elements of that balance are family, work, and public service Hillary Diane Rodham was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 26, 1947, daughter of Hugh and Dorothy Rodham. Her father owned a fabric store, and her mother was a full-time mother and homemaker. Mrs. Rodham encouraged Hillary to go to college and pursue a profession, even though she had never done so herself. Hillary and her younger brothers, Hugh and Tony, grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois, as a close -knit family. Her brothers played football, while Hillary enjoyed tennis, swimming, ballet, softball, volleyball, and skating. An excellent student, she was also a Girl Scout and a member of the local Methodist youth group. She entered Wellesley College in 1965. Graduating with honors, she moved on to Yale Law School, where she served on the board of editors of the Yale review of Law and social action. While at Yale she developed her concern for protecting the interests of children and families. It was there, too, that she met Bill Clinton, fellow student. In 1973 Hillary became a staff attorney for the Children's defense fund. A year later the impeachment inquiry staff of the judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives recruited her. Hillary left Washington and "followed her heart to Arkansas," marrying Bill Clinton in 1975. The couple taught together on the law faculty of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Their daughter, Chelsea was born in1980.