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Harriet Mayor Fulbright
Fulbright in 2016
Born
Harriet Anna Mayor

(1933-12-13)December 13, 1933
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedSeptember 26, 2016(2016-09-26) (aged 82)
Durham, North Carolina, U.S.
Education
OccupationExecutive
Spouses
  • William Watts
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1953, divorced)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1990; died 1995)​
Children3
RelativesArcher Mayor (brother)

Harriet Anna Mayor Fulbright AM (December 13, 1933 – September 26, 2023) was the President of the J. William and Harriet Fulbright Center and Board President of Harriet Fulbright College.[1] She was the second wife, and widow, of United States Senator J. William Fulbright.[1] Mayor was the Executive Director of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities under President Bill Clinton.[2]

Early life and education

Harriet Fulbright was born in New York City, New York on December 13, 1933. Her father, Brantz Mayor, worked for Time Magazine. She has five siblings, one of whom is bestselling mystery author Archer Mayor. The family moved often during Fulbright's youth and as a consequence, she spent much of her childhood in Washington, D.C., New York City and Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Her first overseas experience was at the age of 14, when she traveled to Colombia for a summer study program. She continued her education at Radcliffe College, the women's college counterpart to Harvard University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in 1955.[2] In 1975, Fulbright earned her MFA from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.[2]

Fulbright married William Watts in 1953 and gave birth to three daughters.[3] The family spent two years each stationed in the USSR and South Korea and one year in Germany. She taught English in each country and would continue to teach for many years to come.

Life with Senator Fulbright

In 1987, Mayor served as the Executive Director of the Fulbright Association and moved the headquarters from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C. Senator Fulbright was on the board of the Fulbright Association at the time and the two began spending time together. The two were married on March 10, 1990, in a private ceremony at Senator Fulbright's home in Washington when JW Fulbright was 83 years old.

After marrying, the two traveled for two years before JW Fulbright suffered from the first of several strokes before his death. Notable trips included a journey to Japan for the publication of Fulbright's autobiography, Against the Arrogance of Power: My Personal History, Moscow and Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall and Hawaii. Near the end of January 1992, Senator Fulbright suffered the last of many strokes. He died on February 9, 1995.

Later activities

Harriet Fulbright served as an "unofficial ambassador" for the Fulbright Program and was often invited to speak at events that range from university commencements to milestone anniversaries for Fulbright Commissions around the world who are celebrating the presence of her late husband's educational exchange program in their respective countries.[4][5] As a result of her status as an international figure of peace and education, she received many awards and honorary degrees.[6] She sat on the advisory board of the Alliance for Peacebuilding. In 2006, she created the J. William & Harriet Fulbright Center, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting peace through international education and furthering her husband's legacy. Fulbright celebrated her 75th birthday in Washington. She died in September 2023.[7]

Awards and honors

Fulbright received numerous honors and accolades throughout her career. Below is a partial list:

Type Bestower Date
Honorary Doctorate of Law University of Scranton 1996
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters Long Island University 1997
Order of Manuel Amador Guerrero The Government of the Republic of Panama 1997
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters Bank Street College of Education 2000
Arts in Education Award Fillmore Arts Center 2001
Middle Cross of the Order of Merit The Republic of Hungary 2002
Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters University of Development Studies, Ghana 2004
Hubert H. Humphrey Humanities Award Association of Teachers of Social Science 2004
Rotary Person of the Year Award Rotary International 2005
Honorary Benet Fellow of the School of International Studies Oklahoma State University 2006[8]
Honorary Member of the Order of Australia The Governor-General of Australia 2006[9]
Honorary Degree in Humane Letters Pace University 2006[10]
Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy and Physics Stevens Institute of Technology 2006[11]

References

  1. ^ a b "Fulbright Blog Automotive and Technology News Update". Jwhfulbright.org. Archived from the original on 18 September 2008. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Harriet Mayor Fulbright". Archived from the original on 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
  3. ^ "William Watts, political analyst, dies at 83". Washington Post. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-05-24. Retrieved 2008-10-16.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ [1] [dead link]
  6. ^ "Featured Speaker/IMI's 9th Annual Conference". Archived from the original on 2008-07-06. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
  7. ^ Bader, John (October 3, 2023). "Tribute to Harriet Mayor Fulbright". Fulbright Association. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  8. ^ "Harriet Fulbright". Archived from the original on 2007-08-18. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
  9. ^ "It's an Honour - Honours - Search Australian Honours". Itsanhonour.gov.au. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Pace University in New York - PACE UNIVERSITY". Pace.edu. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
  11. ^ "Special Events » Office of University Communications: Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA". Archived from the original on 2008-12-29. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
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