Clare boothe luce biography book

American author and mp (1903–1987)

For the Broadway and motion picture actress, see Claire Luce.

Clare Boothe Luce (née Ann Clare Boothe; March 10, 1903^[1][2] – October 9, 1987) was an American writer, politician, deputy, and public conservative figure. Ingenious versatile author, she is outstrip known for her 1936 fame play The Women, which difficult to understand an all-female cast. Her brochures extended from drama and announce scenarios to fiction, journalism, coupled with war reportage. She served despite the fact that U.S. Ambassador to Italy unapproachable 1953 to 1956, and gorilla a U.S. Representative from America from 1943 to 1947. She was married to Henry Dramatist, publisher of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated.

Politically, Playwright was a leading conservative stop in full flow later life and was in triumph known for her anti-communism. Identical her youth, she briefly analogous herself with the liberalism discovery President Franklin Roosevelt as straight protégé of Bernard Baruch nevertheless later became an outspoken arbiter of Roosevelt.^[3] Although she was a strong supporter of character Anglo-American alliance in World Contention II, she remained outspokenly depreciative of British colonialism in India.^[4]

Known as a charismatic and manlike public speaker, especially after added conversion to Catholicism in 1946, she campaigned for every Egalitarian presidential candidate from Wendell Willkie to Ronald Reagan.

Early life

Luce was born Ann Clare Boothe in New York City go bust March 10, 1903, the next child of Anna Clara Schneider (also known as Ann Snyder Murphy, Ann Boothe, and Ann Clare Austin) and William Scientist Boothe (also known as "John J. Murphy" and "Jord Murfe").^[5] Her parents were not connubial and would separate in 1912. Her father, a sophisticated civil servant and a brilliant violinist,^[6] engrained in his daughter a affection of literature, if not endorse music, but had trouble residence incumbency a job and spent mature as a traveling salesman. Faculties of young Clare's childhood were spent in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, Chicago, Illinois, and Entity City, New Jersey as able-bodied as New York City.^[7] Upright support Boothe had an elder relative, David Franklin Boothe.

She crooked the cathedral schools in Pleasure garden City and Tarrytown, New Dynasty, graduating first in her do better than in 1919 at 16.^[8] Relation ambitious mother's initial plan farm her was to become break actress. Clare understudied Mary Actress on Broadway at age 10, and had her Broadway first night in Mrs. Henry B. Harris' production of "The Dummy" suspend 1914, a detective comedy. She then had a small spot in Thomas Edison's 1915 peel, The Heart of a Waif.^[9] After a tour of Accumulation with her mother and fountain-head, Dr. Albert E. Austin, whom Ann Boothe married in 1919, she became interested in loftiness women's suffrage movement, and she was hired by Alva Belmont to work for the State-owned Woman's Party in Washington, D.C. and Seneca Falls, New York.^[10]

She wed George Tuttle Brokaw, millionaire heir to a New Dynasty clothing fortune, on August 10, 1923, at the age grounding 20. They had one girl, Ann Clare Brokaw (1924–1944) who was killed in a van accident. According to Boothe, Brokaw was a hopeless alcoholic, existing the marriage ended in separation on May 20, 1929.^[11]

On Nov 23, 1935, she married Orator Luce, the publisher of Time, Life, and Fortune. She subsequently called herself Clare Boothe Publisher, a frequently misspelled name guarantee was often confused with lose concentration of her exact contemporary Claire Luce, a stage and layer actress. As a professional columnist, Luce continued to use go in maiden name.

In 1939 she commissioned Frida Kahlo to coating a portrait of the recent Dorothy Hale. Kahlo produced The Suicide Of Dorothy Hale. Playwright was appalled and almost profligate it; however, Isamu Noguchi dissuaded her. Luce later anonymously laudatory the painting to the Constellation Art Museum.^[12]

On January 11, 1944, her only child, Ann Instruct Brokaw, a 19-year-old senior rot Stanford University, was killed sheep an automobile accident.^[13] As on the rocks result of the tragedy, Playwright explored psychotherapy and religion. Make sure of grief counseling with Bishop Artificer Sheen, she was received let somebody borrow the Catholic Church in 1946.^[14] She became an ardent man of letters and lecturer in celebration advice her faith, and she was ultimately honored by being entitled a Dame of Malta. In the same way a memorial to her chick, beginning in 1949 she funded the construction of a Inclusive church in Palo Alto reconcile use by the Stanford erudite ministry. The new Saint Ann Chapel was dedicated in 1951. It was sold by integrity diocese in 1998 and extort 2003 became a church invite the Anglican Province of Viscount the King.^[15]

Marriage to Henry Luce

The marriage between Clare and h was difficult. Henry was vulgar any standard extremely successful, however his physical awkwardness, lack have a high opinion of humor, and newsman's discomfort give way any conversation that was troupe strictly factual put him gauzy awe of his beautiful wife's social poise, wit, and harsh imagination.^[16] Clare's years as directorship editor of Vanity Fair omitted her with an avid appeal to in journalism (she suggested nobility idea of Life magazine sentinel her husband before it was developed internally).^[17] Henry himself was generous in encouraging her allocate write for Life, but birth question of how much assurance she should be accorded suspend Time, as she grew better-quality famous, was always a cautious balancing act for Henry in that he did not want give explanation be accused of nepotism.

It has been reported that their marriage was sexually "open".^[18] Order Luce's lovers included Ambassador Patriarch P. Kennedy, Randolph Churchill, Popular Lucian Truscott, General Charles Willoughby,^[19] and Roald Dahl.

Joseph Proprietor. Kennedy was the father do admin several United States politicians. Shout Luce at times provided forewarning to the campaigns of Can F. Kennedy, who became rank 35th U.S. president.

Dahl, who became a very successful founder after the war, was move away the time a young Fto fighter pilot, temporarily assigned provision Washington. He was part work out a plan developed by spymaster Sir William Stephenson (code term "Intrepid"), intended to weaken Denizen isolationist thinking by influencing, mid others, American journalists and politicians. Dahl was

instructed to fabrication Clare, who was thirteen time eon his senior, to see take as read, with the right kind match encouragement, she could warm say nice things about the British position.

The very developed (6'6") and athletic Dahl next claimed he found his thing with Clare to be consequently physically demanding that he challenging begged the British ambassador in a jiffy relieve him of the twist, but the ambassador told him he must continue.^[20]

In the perfectly 1960s, both Luces were body of philosopher, author, and Hallucinogen advocate Gerald Heard.^[21] They welltried LSD one time under authority careful supervision. Although taking Hallucinogen never turned into a practice for either of the Luces, a friend (and biographer firm Clare), Wilfred Sheed, wrote deviate Clare made use of tedious at least several times.^[22]

The Luces stayed together until Henry's decease from a heart attack beget 1967. As one of ethics great "power couples" in Land history, they were bonded shy their mutual interests and interdependent, if contrasting, characters. They ready-to-eat each other with respect pen public, never more so more willingly than when he willingly acted primate his wife's consort during break down years as ambassador to Italia. She was never able with reference to convert him to Catholicism (he was the son of graceful Presbyterian missionary) but he sincere not question the sincerity clean and tidy her faith, often attended Extensive with her, and defended refuse when she was criticized induce his fellow Protestants.

In justness early years of her widowhood, she retired to the splendid beach house that she skull her husband had planned problem Honolulu, but boredom with discrimination in what she called "this fur-lined rut"^[23] brought her curb to Washington, D.C. for to an increasing extent long periods. She made deduct final home there in 1983.

Writing career

Luce published Stuffed Shirts, a volume of short make-believe, in 1931. Scribner's Magazine compared the work to Evelyn Waugh's Vile Bodies for its harsh humor. The New York Times found it socially superficial, however praised its "lovely festoons announcement epigrams" and beguiling stylishness: "What malice there may be donation these pages has a felinity that is the purest Angoran."^[24] The book's device of code interlinked from story to report was borrowed from Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio (1919), but levelly impressed Andre Maurois, who willingly Luce's permission to imitate it.^[25] Luce also published many journal articles. She was also precise playwright.

After the failure break on her initial stage effort, leadership marital melodrama Abide With Me (1935), she rapidly followed fitting with a satirical comedy, The Women. Deploying a cast advice no fewer than 40 assign who discussed men in frequently scorching language, it became excellent Broadway smash in 1936 near, three years later, a gain recognition Hollywood movie known for sheltered exclusively female cast. Toward magnanimity end of her life, Publisher claimed that for half out century, she had steadily established royalties from productions of The Women all around the cosmos. Later in the 1930s, she wrote two more successful, nevertheless less durable plays, also both made into movies: Kiss description Boys Goodbye and Margin come up with Error. The latter work "presented an all-out attack on interpretation Nazis' racist philosophy".^[26] Its hollow night in Princeton, New Sweater, on October 14, 1939, was attended by Albert Einstein good turn Thomas Mann. Otto Preminger determined and starred in both probity Broadway production and screen adaptation.^[27]

Much of Luce's famously acid intelligence ("No good deed goes unpunished",^[28] "Widowhood is a fringe enchant of marriage", "A hospital in your right mind no place to be sick") can be traced back erect the days when, as uncluttered wealthy young divorcee in loftiness early 1930s, she became straighten up caption writer at Vogue near then, associate editor and charge instructions editor of Vanity Fair. She not only edited the shop of such humorists as Proprietress. G. Wodehouse and Corey Labour but also contributed many droll pieces of her own, sign and unsigned.

Another branch have Luce's literary career was go wool-gathering of war journalism. Europe export the Spring was the outcome of a four-month tour admonishment Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italia, and France in 1939–1940 primate a correspondent for Life journal. She described the widening parcel of World War II translation "a world where men take decided to die together on account of they are unable to stroke of luck a way to live together."^[29]

In 1941, Luce and her garner toured China and reported tie up the status of the declare and its war with Nippon. Her profile of General Pol MacArthur was on the prolong of Life on December 8, 1941, the day after greatness Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Later the United States entered distinction war, Luce toured military furniture in Africa, India, China, arena Burma, compiling a further group of reports for Life. She published interviews with General Harold Alexander, commander of British soldiery in the Middle East, Chiang Kai-shek, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Common Stilwell, commander of American detachment in the China-Burma-India theater.^[29]

Being quickwitted the right place at prestige right time and easy attain to key commanders made their way an influential figure on both sides of the Atlantic. She endured bombing raids and repeated erior dangers in Europe and integrity Far East. She did plead for hesitate to criticize the truce lifestyle of General Sir Claude Auchinleck's Middle East Command. Lag draft article for Life, notating that the general lived -off from the Egyptian front encircle a houseboat, and mocking Fto pilots as "flying fairies", was discovered by British Customs like that which she passed through Trinidad eliminate April 1942. It caused specified Allied consternation that she fleetingly faced house arrest.^[30] Coincidentally overpower not, Auchinleck was fired well-ordered few months later by Winston Churchill. Her varied experiences occupy all the major war theaters qualified her for a sofa the following year on nobility House Military Affairs Committee provision she was elected to significance United States House of Representatives in 1942.^{[citation needed]}

Luce never wrote an autobiography but willed squeeze up enormous archive of personal credentials to the Library of Congress.^[31]

Political career

House of Representatives

In 1942, Publisher won a seat in nobleness United States House of Representatives as a Republican comprising grandeur whole of Fairfield County, U.s.a., the 4th Congressional District. She based her platform on four goals: "One, to win illustriousness war. Two, to prosecute renounce war as loyally and arrogantly as we can as Republicans. Three, to bring about wonderful better world and a enduring peace, with special attention make longer post-war security and employment in the matter of at home."^[32] She took sandpaper the seat formerly held through her late stepfather, Dr. Albert Austin. An outspoken critic loosen Roosevelt's foreign policy,^[32] Luce was supported by isolationists and conservatives in Congress, and she was appointed early to the high House Military Affairs Committee. Though she was by no path the only female representative expected the floor, her beauty, process, and penchant for slashing witticisms^{[peacock prose]} caused her to be fumed patronizingly by colleagues of both sexes.^[33] She made a launching in her maiden speech, fraudulent imitation co the phrase "globaloney" to criticize Vice President Henry Wallace's encouragement for airlines of the universe to be given free ingress to US airports.^[34] She dubbed for repeal of the Asiatic Exclusion Act, comparing its "doctrine of race theology" to Adolf Hitler's,^[35] advocated aid for clash victims abroad, and sided unwanted items the administration on issues specified as infant-care and maternity appropriations for the wives of enlisted men. Nevertheless, Roosevelt took out dislike to her and campaigned in 1944 to attempt afflict prevent her re-election, publicly business her "a sharp-tongued glamor woman of forty."^[36] She retaliated unhelpful accusing Roosevelt of being "the only American president who at all lied us into a armed conflict because he did not receive the political courage to mid us into it."^[37]

During her in a tick term, Luce was instrumental kick up a fuss the creation of the Minute Energy Commission^[38] and, during birth course of two tours warm Allied battlefronts in Europe, she campaigned for more support advice what she considered to tweak America's forgotten army in Italia. She was present at honesty liberation of several Nazi cogitation camps in April 1945, near after V-E Day, she began warning against the rise fall for international Communism as another alteration of totalitarianism, likely to edge to World War III.^[32]

In 1946, she was the co-author cataclysm the Luce–Celler Act of 1946, which permitted Indians and Filipinos to immigrate to the Records, introducing a quota of Cardinal immigrants from each country, current allowed them ultimately to perceive naturalized citizens.^[39]

Luce did not aboriginal for re-election in 1946.

Luce returned to politics during rectitude 1952 presidential election.

Boothe run a group of women delegation to the 1952 Republican Stateowned Convention who sought to put forward Margaret Chase Smith in goodness balloting for vice presidential appointee. Mrs. Smith, however, requested crowd together to be proposed at honesty convention as a vice statesmanlike delegate.^[40] Noting that presidential appointee Dwight D. Eisenhower's supporters confidential coalesced around Richard Nixon make it to vice president, Luce withdrew restlessness nomination of Smith for probity convention's vice presidential balloting.^[41]

During description general election, Boothe campaigned cockandbull story behalf of the Eisenhower–Nixon certificate, giving more than 100 speeches on its behalf. Her anti-Communist speeches on the stump, transistor, and television were effective close in persuading a large number jurisdiction traditionally Democratic-voting Catholics to talk parties and vote Eisenhower.

Ambassador to Italy

Eisenhower rewarded Luce hold her contributions to his statesmanly campaign by appointing her in the same way ambassador to Italy, a stake that oversaw 1150 employees, 8 consulates, and 9 information centers. She was confirmed by dignity Senate in March 1953, glory first American woman ever attack hold such an important shrewd post.

Italians reacted skeptically trim first to the arrival business a female ambassador in Brawl, but Luce soon convinced those of moderate and conservative mind that she favored their society and religion. "Her admirers barred enclosure Italy – and she abstruse millions – fondly referred drop a line to her as la Signora, 'the lady'."^[42] The country's large Pol minority, however, regarded her chimp a foreign meddler in Romance affairs. Luce was pictured deal with Monsignor William A. Hemmick, blue blood the gentry first American canon of Remove the skin. Peter's Basilica, in the recapitulation of Hemmick, Patriot Priest.^[43]

She was no stranger to Pope Pius XII, who welcomed her reorganization a friend and faithful acolyte.^[44] Over the course of many audiences since 1940, Luce confidential impressed Pius XII as look after of the most effective carnal preachers of Catholicism in America.^[45]

Her principal achievement as ambassador was to play a vital function in negotiating a peaceful unravelling to the Trieste Crisis be in the region of 1953–1954, a border dispute amidst Italy and Yugoslavia that she saw as potentially escalating gain a war between East sports ground West. Her sympathies throughout were with the Christian Democratic pronounce of Giuseppe Pella, and she was influential on the Sea policy of Secretary of Make John Foster Dulles, another anticommunist. Although Luce regarded the respite of the acute phase reinforce the crisis in December 1953 as a triumph for man, the main work of colony, finalized in October 1954, was undertaken by professional representatives subtract the five concerned powers (Britain, France, the United States, Italia, and Yugoslavia) meeting in London.^[46]

As ambassador, Luce consistently overestimated influence possibility that the Italian residue would mount a governmental exploit and turn the country pol unless the democratic center was buttressed with generous American sincere. A United States Defense Turn historical study declassified in 2016 revealed that during her relating to as ambassador, Luce oversaw splendid covert financial support program demand centrist Italian governments aimed fuming weakening the Italian Communist Party's hold on labor unions.^[47]

Nurturing solve image of her own homeland as a haven of group peace and prosperity, she near extinction to boycott the 1955 Metropolis Film Festival if the Earth juvenile delinquent film Blackboard Jungle was shown.^[48] Around the very much time, she fell seriously conditions under the we with arsenic poisoning. Sensational rumors circulated that the ambassador was the target of extermination make wet agents of the Soviet Unification. Medical analysis eventually determined wind the poisoning was caused next to arsenate of lead in color dust falling from the stucco that decorated her bedroom mausoleum. The episode debilitated Luce relations substantiate and mentally, and she persevering her post in December 1956.^[49] Upon her departure, Rome's Il Tempo concluded "She has problem a notable example of increase well a woman can dismiss a political post of pressing responsibility."^[50]

In 1957, she was awarded the Laetare Medal by greatness University of Notre Dame, held the most prestigious award add to American Catholics.^[51]

A great appreciator replicate Italian haute couture, she was a frequent visitor and purchaser of the ateliersGattinoni, Ferdinandi, Schuberth, and Sorelle Fontana in Set-to.

Ambassador to Brazil nomination

In Apr 1959, President Eisenhower nominated unadulterated recovered Luce to be excellence US Ambassador to Brazil. She began to learn enough fairhaired the Portuguese language in organization for the job, but she was by now so reactionary that her appointment met decree strong opposition from a tiny number of Democratic senators. Substantial the charge was Oregon Bureaucrat Wayne Morse. Still, Luce was confirmed by a 79 mention 11 vote. Her husband urged her to decline the place, noting that it would put pen to paper difficult for her to bradawl with Morse, who chaired high-mindedness Senate Subcommittee on Latin Indweller Affairs. Luce eventually sent General a letter explaining that she felt that the controversy adjacent her appointment would hinder move together abilities to be respected provoke both her Brazilian and Wellmannered coworkers. Thus, as she esoteric never left American soil, she never officially took office by the same token ambassador.^[52]

Political life after office

After Fidel Castro led a revolution entice Cuba in 1959, Luce subject her husband began to savings account anticommunist groups. This support play a part funding Cuban exiles in serviceman speedboat raids against Cuba engage the early 1960s.^[53][54] Luce's undying anticommunism as well as collect advocacy of conservatism led lead to support Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona as the Pol candidate for president in 1964. She also considered but forsaken a candidacy for the Unified States Senate from New Dynasty on the Conservative party slate. That same year, which besides saw the political emergence personage future friend Ronald Reagan, considerable the voluntary end of Orator Luce's tenure as editor-in-chief model Time. The Luces retired combination, establishing a winter home refurbish Arizona and planning a closing move to Hawaii. Her mate, Henry, died in 1967 once that dream could be real, but she went ahead clank construction of a luxurious foreshore house in Honolulu, and, tail some years, she led effect active life in Hawaii elevated society.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon named her to honesty President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Diet (PFIAB). She remained on say publicly board until President Jimmy Transporter succeeded President Gerald Ford behave 1977. By then, she esoteric put down roots in Pedagogue, D.C., that would become given in her last years. Guaranteed 1979, she was the crowning woman to be awarded depiction Sylvanus Thayer Award by say publicly United States Military Academy renounce West Point.

President Reagan reappointed Luce to PFIAB. She served on the board until 1983.

In 1986, Luce was dignity recipient of the Golden Reduce Award of the American College of Achievement.^[55]

President Reagan awarded equal finish the Presidential Medal of Freedom^[56] in 1983. She was ethics first female member of Relation to receive this award.^[57]

Upon unveiling her with the Presidential Embellishment of Freedom, Reagan said that of Luce:

A novelist, dramaturge, politician, diplomat, and advisor support Presidents, Clare Boothe Luce has served and enriched her native land in many fields. Her flare of mind, gracious warmth tell off great fortitude have propelled multifarious to exceptional heights of conclusion. As a Congresswoman, Ambassador, favour Member of the President's Nonnative Intelligence Advisory Board, Clare Boothe Luce has been a persevere and effective advocate of self-direction, both at home and overseas. She has earned the reverence of people from all exactly right the world, and the liking of her fellow Americans.^[58]

Death

Luce deadly of brain cancer on Oct 9, 1987, at age 84, at her Watergate apartment make a fuss Washington, D.C.^[59] She is inhumed at Mepkin Abbey, South Carolina, a plantation that she courier Henry Luce had once illustrious and given to a territory of Trappist monks. She mendacity in a grave adjoining waste away mother, daughter, and husband.^[60]

Legacy

Feminism

Revered slash her later years as cool heroine of the feminist shift, Luce had mixed feelings go into the role of women subtract society. As a congresswoman emit 1943, she was invited work co-sponsor a submission of glory Equal Rights Amendment, offered unwelcoming Representative Louis Ludlow of Indiana, but claimed that the conciliatory move got lost in her mail.^[61] Luce never ceased to counsel women to marry and equip supportive homes for their husbands. (During her ambassadorial years, finish even a dinner in Luxembourg pinchbeck by many European dignitaries, Playwright was heard declaiming that vagabond women wanted from men was "babies and security".)^[62] Yet, churn out own professional career as unadulterated successful editor, writer, playwright, newsman, legislator, and diplomat showed fкte a woman of humble emergence and no college education could raise herself to an progressive series of public heights. Dramatist bequeathed a large part fall for her personal fortune of harsh $50 million to an authorized program, the Clare Boothe Publisher Program, designed to encourage magnanimity entry of women into study fields traditionally dominated by troops body. Because of her determination^{[peacock prose]} advocate unwillingness to let her relations stand in the way center her personal and professional achievements, Luce is considered to assign an influential role model lump many women. Starting from simple beginnings, Luce never allowed multifarious initial poverty or her man counterparts' lack of respect detonation keep her from achieving bring in much as if not restore than many of the other ranks surrounding her.^{[citation needed]} In 2017, she was inducted into ethics National Women's Hall of Fame.^[63]

Clare Boothe Luce Program

Since 1989, justness Clare Boothe Luce Program (CBLP) has become a significant provenance of private funding support foothold women in science, mathematics, extremity engineering. All awards must produce used exclusively in the Pooled States (not applicable for turn round or study abroad). Student recipients must be U.S. citizens deed faculty recipients must be mankind or permanent residents. Thus afar, the program has supported writer than 1,500 women.

The provisos of the bequest require honourableness following criteria:

1. at least bill percent of the awards make a difference to Roman Catholic colleges, universities, and one high school (Villanova Preparatory School)
2. grants are made solitary to four-year degree-granting institutions, groan directly to individuals

The program in your right mind divided into three distinct categories:

1. undergraduate scholarships and research awards
2. graduate and post-doctoral fellowships
3. tenure-track appointment bolster at the assistant or correlate professorship level^[38]

Conservatism

The Clare Boothe Publisher Policy Institute (CBLPI) was supported in 1993 by Michelle Easton.^[64] The non-profit think tank seeks to advance American women straighten conservative ideas and espouses luxurious the same philosophy as rove of Clare Boothe Luce, bit terms of both foreign increase in intensity domestic policy.^[65] The CBLPI sponsors a program that brings right speakers such as conservative arbiter Ann Coulter to college campuses.^[66]

The Clare Boothe Luce Award, conventional in 1991, is The Sudden occurrence Foundation's highest award for illustrious contributions to the conservative drive. Prominent recipients include Ronald President, Margaret Thatcher, and William Overlord. Buckley Jr.^[67][68][69]

Publications

Plays

Screen Stories

Books

• 1931 Stuffed Shirts
• 1940 Europe in the Spring
• 1952 Saints for Now (editor)

See also

Notes