Clare Boothe Luce
Clare Boothe Luce | |
|---|---|
| United States Ambassador to Italy | |
| In office May 4, 1953 – December 27, 1956 | |
| President | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Preceded by | Ellsworth Bunker |
| Succeeded by | James David Zellerbach |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 4th district | |
| In office January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1947 | |
| Preceded by | Le Roy D. Downs |
| Succeeded by | John Lodge |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ann Clare Boothe March 10, 1903 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | October 9, 1987 (aged 84) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Conservatism in the United States |
|---|
Clare Boothe Luce (née Ann Clare Boothe; March 10, 1903 – October 9, 1987) was an American writer, politician, diplomat, and public conservative figure. A versatile author, she is best known for her 1936 hit play The Women, which had an all-female cast. Her writings extended from drama and screen scenarios to fiction, journalism, and war reportage. She served as U.S. Ambassador to Italy from 1953 to 1956, and as a U.S. representative for Connecticut's 4th congressional district from 1943 to 1947. She was married to Henry Luce, publisher of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated.
Politically, Luce was a leading conservative in later life and was well known for her anti-communism. In her youth, she briefly aligned herself with the liberalism of President Franklin Roosevelt as a protégé of Bernard Baruch but later became an outspoken critic of Roosevelt. Although she was a strong supporter of the Anglo-American alliance in World War II, she remained outspokenly critical of British colonialism in India.
Known as a charismatic and forceful public speaker, especially after her conversion to Catholicism in 1946, she campaigned for every Republican presidential candidate from Wendell Willkie to Ronald Reagan.