Leonore Annenberg

Infobox Officeholder
name = Leonore Annenberg


image_size = 200px
caption = Leonore Annenberg (far left) with husband Walter (center) and United States President Ronald Reagan (far right), February 6, 1981
birth_date = birth date and age|mf=yes|1918|2|20
birth_place = New York City,
New York, United States
death_date =
death_place =
residence = Rancho Mirage, California
nationality = American
order = United States Chief of Protocol
networth = US$2 billion
term = March 20, 1981–January 6, 1982
president = Ronald Reagan
predecessor = Abelardo L. Valdez
successor = Selwa Roosevelt
religion = Jewish
spouse = Lewis Rosensteil
Walter Annenberg (1951–2002)
website = [http://www.annenbergfoundation.org/ Annenberg Foundation]

Leonore Cohn Rosenstiel Annenberg (born February 20, 1918) is a billionaire former Chief of Protocol of the United States (1981–1982). She currently serves as the chairman and president of the Annenberg Foundation. A prominent philanthropist, she is the widow of Walter Annenberg, who was an Ambassador to the United Kingdom and an influential business magnate.

Annenberg was born in New York City and graduated from Stanford University. After her first marriage ended in divorce, she married Walter Annenberg, who was appointed U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1969. In her role as the ambassador's wife, Leonore directed a major renovation of the ambassador's official residence. A wealthy couple, they contributed to Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign and upon his inauguration, Leonore was named Chief of Protocol, placing her in charge of advising the president, vice president, and Secretary of State on matters relating to diplomatic protocol.

The Annenbergs became major philanthropists, donating money to education facilities, charitable causes, and the arts. Leonore served on many committees and boards as well. Following Walter Annenberg's death in 2002, she continues to donate money and promote the Annenberg Foundation.

Early life

Leonore was born in New York City on February 20, 1918. She graduated from Stanford University in 1940 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.cite web|title=Leonore Annenberg |url=http://www.americanambassadors.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Members.view&memberid=34|publisher=Council of American Ambassadors|date=2004|accessdate=2007-11-24] After graduating, she soon married Schenley liquors manager Lewis Rosensteil with whom she had two children but later divorced. Leonore married Walter Annenberg, then editor of "The Philadelphia Inquirer", in 1951.cite news|title=Publisher, Philanthropist Walter Annenberg Dies|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A30335-2002Oct1?language=printer|publisher="The Washington Post"|date=2002-10-02|page=A01|accessdate=2007-11-24]

Ambassador's wife

Upon her husband's appointment as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1969, Mrs. Annenberg ordered a renovation of the thirty-five room Winfield House, the ambassador's official London residence. The total cost of the project was about US$1 million and took six months to complete.cite news|title=Walter Annenberg, 94, Dies; Philanthropist and Publisher|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9800E3DE1038F931A35753C1A9649C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=4|publisher="The New York Times"|date=2002-10-02|page=4|accessdate=2007-11-24|first=Grace|last=Glueck] While in London, Leonore founded the American Friends of Covent Garden, an organization designed to foster goodwill between the U.S. and Great Britain through musical expression. [cite web|title=British-American Organizations in the New York Area|url=http://www.britainusa.com/consular/articles_show_nt1.asp?i=34004&L1=34000&L2=34004&a=39404|publisher=American British Embassy|accessdate=2007-11-25]

Chief of Protocol

The Annenbergs contributed substantially to Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign, and upon his election in 1981, Leonore was named Chief of Protocol of the United States. This placed her in charge of advising the President, Vice President, and Secretary of State on matters dealing with diplomatic protocol, and allowed her to formally welcome foreign dignitaries upon their arrival.cite web|title=Nomination of Leonore Annenberg To Have the Rank of Ambassador While Serving as Chief of Protocol for the White House|url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=43365|publisher=americanpresidency.org|accessdate=2007-11-24|first=Peter|last=Gerhard] Annenberg oversaw a staff of 60 who worked on myriad details, ranging from the choice of the state gifts that will be given to the guest, to the bathrooms the foreign delegation may visit. [cite news|url= http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE6D7153AF931A35751C1A961948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|title=Why It's Black Tie at White House|author=Gamarekian, Barbara|work=The New York Times|accessdate=2008-06-26|date=December 2, 1987] She said of her position, "It's all about making your guests feel respected and welcome." [cite book|author=Schifando, Peter|coauthors=J. Jonathan Joseph|date=2007|publisher=William Morrow|location=New York|page=43|title=Entertaining at the White House with Nancy Reagan]

While Chief of Protocol, she achieved the rank of Ambassador. Friends of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, the Annenbergs hosted the Reagans annually at their Rancho Mirage, California estate known as "Sunnylands". Annenberg resigned her post in January 1982, stating that she wanted to spend more time with her husband. [cite news|title=Tonight, big giver will be receiving|url=http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_stories/20070618_Tonight__big_giver_will_be_receiving.html|publisher="The Philadelphia Inquirer"|date=2007-06-18|accessdate=2007-11-25|first=Karen|last=Heller]

Philanthropy and committee work

After leaving her post at the State Department, Annenberg began work to promote and encourage the enhancement of cultural appreciation among Americans.cite web|url=http://www.sunnylandstrust.org/about/about_show.htm?doc_id=436150|publisher=The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands|title=Leonore Annenberg|accessdate=2008-06-26] She and her husband continued to donate money to worthy causes as philanthropists. In 2001, Annenberg was awarded the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy. [cite web|url=http://www.carnegie.org/sub/awardees/annenbergs.html|title=Ambassador Leonore Annenberg|accessdate=2008-06-26|date=2001|publisher=Carnegie Corporation of New York] Upon being presented the award, she explained why she and her husband donated to causes as philanthropists:

"Walter and I believe that education is the foundation of a democratic society. When asked what motivates his philanthropic work, my husband has responded with a very powerful statement: 'I regard my philanthropic work as an investment in the future of America. It is the most effective way I can serve my country and help to ensure its benefits for the next generation.'"

Annenberg has also become involved with many charitable organizations and served on many committees. Stemming from her interest in the arts, she is a trustee emerita and a member of the Acquisitions Committee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, member of the Board of Trustees of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, one of the managing directors of The Metropolitan Opera, honorary trustee and former board president of the Palm Springs Art Museum, and a member of the American Philosophical Society. Mrs. Annenberg is chairman emeritus of the Foundation of Art and Preservation in Embassies, and a member of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House.

Due to her extensive monetary contributions to education, she is a member of the Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania and an active trustee emeritus of the University of Pennsylvania. She serves on the governing boards of both Annenberg Schools for Communication and was inducted as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Recently, Annenberg became an honorary board member of the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation and an honorary fellow of the Royal Academy of Arts.

Later life

Walter Annenberg died on October 1, 2002, aged 94. She succeeded him as chairman and president of the Annenberg Foundation, an organization founded by her late husband which funds nonprofit organizations as well as education institutes and programs of the arts. Leonore Annenberg continues to donate money to worthy causes in the fields of science, education, and art.cite web|title=#133 Leonore Annenberg|url=http://www.forbes.com/lists/2005/54/MPF2.html|publisher=Forbes.com|accessdate=2007-11-25|date=2005] In 2006, she was ranked as the 382nd wealthiest person in the world by "Forbes" magazine, [cite web|title=#382 Leonore Annenberg|url=http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/MPF2.html|publisher=Forbes.com|accessdate=2007-11-25|date=2006] and the 488th in 2007. [cite web|title=#488 Leonore Annenberg|url=http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/10/07billionaires_Leonore-Annenberg_MPF2.html|publisher=Forbes.com|accessdate=2008-02-11|date=2007] Annenberg is the 165th richest person in the United States, according to "Forbes", with a net worth of 2.5 billion dollars. [cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/money/2007-09-20-forbes-list_N.htm|title=2007 'Forbes' 400 richest Americans|accessdate=2008-04-11|work=Forbes|publisher="USA Today"] Annenberg traveled to Washington, D.C. in May 2007 to attend the state dinner for Queen Elizabeth II, hosted by President George W. Bush. [cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F01E3D81631F93BA35756C0A9619C8B63|title=Guests at the State Dinner|accessdate=2008-06-26|date=May 8, 2007|work=The New York Times] The following month, she accepted the prestigious Philadelphia Award, an honor given to those in the Philadelphia region who worked to better the area. [cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_km4470/is_200704/ai_n19027672|publisher=FindArticles|accessdate=2008-06-26|work=The Philadelphia Daily News|date=April 2007|author=Brennan, Chris|title=Philadelphia Award to Leonore Annenberg] She currently resides in Rancho Mirage, California.

Footnotes