Hilary or Hillary may refer to:

• Hilary (name) or Hillary, a given name and surname (includes a list of people with the name )

People[link]

• Hilary of Aquileia, 3rd century bishop and martyr
• Hilary of Poitiers, 4th century bishop and Church Father
• Pope Hilarius or Pope Hilary, 5th century pope
• Hilarius (praefectus urbi), praefectus urbi of Rome
• Hilary of Arles, 5th century bishop
• Hilary of Galeata, 6th century hermit
• Hilarius, archbishop of Tarragona (Spain) in c. 402
• Hilarius (poet) (fl. 1125)
• Hilary of Chichester (c. 1110–1169), bishop of Chichester
• Hilary (musician) (1950–2007), American singer-songwriter
• Hillary Rodham Clinton, (1947-), 67th and current United States Secretary of State, former United States Senator from New York, former First Lady of the United States.

Places[link]

• St Hilary, Cornwall, UK
• St Hilary, Glamorgan, UK
• Saint Hilary School, Chicago, Illinois, US
• Hillery, Illinois, US
• Hillarys, Western Australia, Australia

Other uses[link]

• Hilary Term, the spring term at the Universities of Oxford and Dublin
• Hikari no Densetsu or Hilary, a manga series
• Hilary Tachibana, a fictional character in the Beyblade anime series

See also[link]

• Hurricane Hilary (disambiguation), any of several Pacific tropical cyclones
• Saint-Hilaire (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Hilary Duff
Duff at The Heart Truth's 2009 Red Dress Collection
Born	Hilary Erhard Duff (1987-09-28) September 28, 1987 (age 24) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, author, entrepreneur, recording artist
Years active	1997–present
Spouse	Mike Comrie (2010–present)
Children	1
Relatives	Haylie Duff (sister)
Website
hilaryduff.com

Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress, author, entrepreneur and recording artist. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Duff appeared in local theatre plays and television commercials before coming to prominence in the title role of the Disney Channel's teen comedy Lizzie McGuire and The CW's teen drama Gossip Girl as movie star Olivia. Established as a teen idol, Duff reprised that role in the The Lizzie McGuire Movie and subsequently ventured into motion pictures, appearing in a string of successful films that include Agent Cody Banks, Cheaper by the Dozen, A Cinderella Story and Cheaper by the Dozen 2. Most recently, she has performed in a legion of television dramas and independent films.

Duff expanded her repertoire to include pop music and has released three RIAA-certified platinum albums including Metamorphosis (2002), her debut studio album which was certified triple platinum, Hilary Duff (2004) and Most Wanted (2005), which were both certified platinum. Her most recent studio album Dignity (2007) was certified gold and spawned her highest charting US single to date "With Love".^[1] Followed by Best of Hilary Duff (2008), a compilation of her greatest hits, Duff has since sold thirteen million albums worldwide.^[2]

Branching into the fashion industry, Duff has launched her own clothing lines Stuff by Hilary Duff and Femme for DKNY Jeans in addition to being signed with IMG Models and releasing two exclusive perfume collections with Elizabeth Arden.^[3] Her other business ventures include writing a series of young adult novel, including Elixir (2010) and Devoted (2011), while working as an executive producer for According to Greta and as a producer for Material Girls and Beauty & the Briefcase.

Early life[link]

Hilary Erhard Duff was born on September 28, 1987 in Houston, Texas,^[4] to Susan Colleen (née Cobb), a homemaker, and Robert Erhard Duff, a partner in a chain of convenience stores.^[5] Duff has an elder sister, Haylie, who is also an actress and singer. Her mother encouraged her to enroll in acting classes alongside Haylie. Both girls won roles in local theatre productions.^[6] At the ages of six and eight, the two sisters participated in a BalletMet Columbus production of The Nutcracker Suite in San Antonio.^[4] The sisters became increasingly interested in pursuing acting and their mother moved with them to California, while their father stayed in Houston to take care of his business.^[5][6] The sisters auditioned for several years and were cast in several television commercials.^[5] Due to her acting career, Duff was home-schooled.^[7]

Acting career[link]

[edit] 1997–2002: Career beginnings and Lizzie McGuire

Duff primarily played minor roles during her initial acting years. In 1997, she had an uncredited role in the Hallmark Entertainment western miniseries True Women. The following year, she played an uncredited extra in an ensemble dramedy, Playing by Heart. Her first major role was as a young witch, Wendy, in Casper Meets Wendy. The film, however, was released to mostly unenthusiastic reviews.^[8][9] In 1999, Duff appeared in a supporting role in the television film The Soul Collector, which was based on a Kathleen Kane novel. For her performance, Duff won a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Movie or Pilot (Supporting Young Actress).^[10]

Duff first rose to fame in 2000 when she was cast as one of the children in the pilot episode of the NBC sitcom Daddio. Her co-star, Michael Chiklis, stated, "After working with her the first day, I remember saying to my wife, 'this young girl is going to be a movie star'. She was completely at ease with herself and comfortable in her own skin."^[5] However,prior to the airing of the show, Duff was dropped from the cast which made her reluctant to pursue her acting career further.^[5] However, her manager and mother urged her on and a week later she auditioned successfully for the title role of a newly developed children's television series, Lizzie McGuire.^[5] The show focused on the growth of the central character, "Lizzie McGuire" into teenhood. Lizzie McGuire first aired on the Disney Channel on January 12, 2001, and was a ratings hit. It attracted about 2.3 million viewers per episode.^[5] Her participation in the show made her popular among children between the ages of 7 and 14.^[11] That same year, she began dating teen singer Aaron Carter. Richard Huff, a New York Daily News critic, called her "a 2002 version of Annette Funicello".^[5] After Duff fulfilled her 65 episode contract with Lizzie McGuire, Disney considered expanding the franchise to films and a prime-time television series. The plans however failed, because Duff's representatives said she was not being paid enough for the proposed series.^[12]

Duff's first role in a theatrical motion picture was in Human Nature in 2002. The film was showcased first at the Cannes and Sundance film festivals.^[13] In the film, Duff portrayed the younger version of a female naturalist, played by Patricia Arquette. Duff also starred in the Disney Channel television film Cadet Kelly (2002), which became the network's most watched program in its 19-year history.^[5] In the film, she played the role of a free-spirited girl who struggles in a strict military school.

2003–06: Breakthrough film roles[link]

Hilary Duff poses with one of her fans at the pre-show "meet and greet" at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, N.C in 2006

In 2003, Duff received her first major role in a feature film when she was cast alongside Frankie Muniz in Agent Cody Banks. The film received positive reviews and was successful enough to spawn a sequel in which Duff was however not cast. That year, Duff reprised her role as Lizzie McGuire for The Lizzie McGuire Movie. It received mixed reviews, with certain critics calling it "an unabashed promotion of Duff’s image, just as Crossroads was for Britney Spears".^[14][15][16] Later that year, Duff played one of the 12 children of Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt in the family film Cheaper by the Dozen, which remains her highest grossing film to date.^[17]

Early in 2002, she entered a high-profile feud with Lindsay Lohan because she was also dating Aaron Carter along with her, but then he broke up with Lohan and resumed dating Duff. Later that year, she ended her two year relationship with Aaron Carter after he reportedly cheated on her.

She reprised her role in the sequel Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005), which was less successful as the original film and was panned by critics.^[18]

Duff also made several guest appearances in television shows, her first being as a sick child in the medical drama Chicago Hope in March 2000.^[19] In a 2003 episode of George Lopez, she had a role as a makeup salesperson; she later reappeared in the show in 2005 as Kenzie, a feminist poet friend of the character Carmen (Masiela Lusha). In the same year, she acted opposite her sister Haylie in American Dreams, while in 2005, she played a classmate and idolizer of the title character of Joan of Arcadia.^[20]

In 2004, Duff starred in the romantic comedy A Cinderella Story alongside Chad Michael Murray. Though the reviews were mostly negative, the film went on to become a moderate box office hit,^[17][21] and some critics were impressed by Duff's performance.^[22] Later that year, she starred in the film Raise Your Voice, her first role in a drama film. While some critics praised her for appearing in a more mature and serious role than her previous films, the film itself was heavily panned and was not successful at the box office.^[23] Several reviews were indifferent towards her acting performance and were critical of Duff's vocals, with critics pointing out what appeared to be her digitally enhanced voice.^{[24][25][26][27]} The same year, Duff received her first Razzie nomination for worst actress for her roles in Raise Your Voice and A Cinderella Story.^[28] In 2005, Duff starred in The Perfect Man, in which she played the eldest daughter of a divorced woman (Heather Locklear). In the same year, Duff was again nominated for a Razzie Award, for The Perfect Man and Cheaper by the Dozen 2.^[29] Later that year, the Duff sisters lent their voices to the computer animated comedy Foodfight!, which was to be distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment but was never released. The director of the film, Larry Kasanoff, said that he was "absolutely thrilled to have the Duff sisters as part of the cast".^[30] She also starred in the 2006 satirical comedy Material Girls, in which she co-starred with her sister Haylie Duff.^[31] Duff along with her sister Haylie, received two more nominations for Razzie Awards for their roles in the film.^[32]

2007–present: Independent films and television appearances[link]

Hilary Duff at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival

A two-part introspective documentary television special, Hilary Duff: This Is Now was produced to chronicle Duff's return to the recording industry. The show took two weeks to film and was shot in Los Angeles, Europe, and Spain. It was broadcast on MTV on April 3 and April 9, 2007. Duff was the guest star on The Andy Milonakis Show for its third season premiere in September 2007.

On September 7, 2007, Duff confirmed on MuchOnDemand, that she would be filming two independent films According to Greta, and What Goes Up.^[33] Duff starred opposite John Cusack in War, Inc. which was released in theatres in Los Angeles and Manhattan, New York on May 23, 2008. In June 2008, Duff joined the cast of the Polish brothers comedy Stay Cool. She co-starred alongside Winona Ryder, Mark Polish, Sean Astin, Chevy Chase, and Jon Cryer. In the film, she portrayed the character of Shasta O'Neil, described as a sexy high school senior, the film was released in 2010.^[34]

In early 2008, Duff was offered the lead role of Annie Mills in the CW Network's Beverly Hills, 90210 spinoff, but she turned it down because she was more interested in looking for projects outside the teen genre.^[35][36] In July 2009, she attained a role in Gossip Girl as a recurring guest star.^[37] She played the character of Olivia Burke, a movie star who enrols at NYU in search of a traditional college experience. The following year, she won a Teen Choice Award for "Best Female Scene Stealer" for her role as Olivia Burke.^[38] Duff starred in Beauty and the Briefcase, a romantic comedy based on the book Diary of a Working Girl, by Daniella Brodsky and directed by Gil Junger. The film premiered on ABC Family on April 18, 2010. In the film, Duff plays a fashion magazine columnist who writes about her dating struggles in the city.^[39]

In May 2011, Duff starred in Bloodworth, an adaptation of the novel Provinces of Night by William Gay, where Duff plays Raven Halfacre, a teenage daughter of a promiscuous, alcoholic mother.^[40] As of August 2011, Duff is scheduled to appear in an independent film called She Wants Me, directed by Rob Margolies,^[41] in which, she plays a young Hollywood actress named Kim Powers.

Music career[link]

[edit] 2002-03: Santa Claus Lane and Metamorphosis

Hilary Duff at the MuchMusic Video Awards in 2007

In 2002, Duff recorded a cover version of Brooke McClymont's "I Can't Wait" for the Lizzie McGuire soundtrack, and "The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room" for the first DisneyMania compilation album. She also released her first album, titled Santa Claus Lane which was a collection of Christmas songs which included duets with her sister, Haylie, Lil' Romeo, and Christina Milian. Accompanied by the Disney Channel-only single "Tell Me a Story (About the Night Before)", the album peaked at 154 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart and was certified gold.^[42][43]

Duff's studio debut album, Metamorphosis (2003), reached number one on the U.S. and Canadian charts^[44] and sold over 3.9 million copies in the U.S by January 2007.^[45] The lead single, "So Yesterday" was a top ten hit in several countries;^[46] its follow-up was the Laguna Beach theme song "Come Clean". The third single, "Little Voice", was not released in the U.S. and was a minor hit in Australia.^[47] In late 2003, Duff embarked on her first concert tour, the "Metamorphosis" tour, and later the "Most Wanted" tour. Most shows scheduled in the major cities were sold out.^[48]

[edit] 2004-08: Hilary Duff and Dignity

Hilary Duff at the taping of Live@Much: Hilary Duff

Duff's second studio album was the self-titled Hilary Duff, for which she co-wrote some songs.^[49] It was released on her seventeenth birthday (in September 2004) and debuted at #2 in the U.S. and at #1 in Canada. The album sold 1.8 million copies in the U.S.^[50] Most Wanted, her first compilation album, was released in August 2005. Most Wanted included songs from her previous two albums, remixes and three new songs which included "Wake Up" written by Joel Madden and his brother, Benji, both members of Good Charlotte.^[51] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200^[52] and became her third number one debut in Canada. It sold over two hundred thousand copies within its first week of release and was certified platinum by the RIAA a month after its release.^{[53] [54]} In 2006, an Italy-only compilation, 4Ever was released. Duff also recorded a cover version of Madonna's "Material Girl" with her sister for their movie, Material Girls.^[55]

Duff co-wrote the material for her third studio album Dignity, along with Kara DioGuardi, who co-produced the album with Rhett Lawrence, Tim & Bob, and Richard Vission. She stated that compared to her previous music, it was "more dancey" and made use of more real instruments. She said, "I don't know exactly how to explain what we're doing, but it's fun and funky and different, something new for me. It's really cool".^[56] In November 2008, Duff's first greatest hits album, Best of Hilary Duff was released^[57] and the album's first single "Reach Out", which samples Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus", was released in the preceding month. The song became Duff's third #1 dance hit.^[58][59]

2012-present: Fifth studio album[link]

She then parted ways with Hollywood Records after six years of service and then announced to MTV that she would begin work on her new album in December 2008.^[60] In October 2011, Duff mentioned plans of a possible new album to E! Online.^[61] In January 2012, she confirmed that she had begun recording via her official website and twitter.^[62][63]

Other ventures[link]

Entrepreneurship[link]

Duff at a book signing in October 2010.

In March 2004, Duff launched her clothing line, "Stuff by Hilary Duff", which was distributed through Target in the United States, Kmart in Australia, Zellers in Canada, and Edgars Stores in South Africa. The company, which initially started as a clothing line, later expanded its business into furniture, fragrances and jewelry, primarily targeted at the teen and preteen crowd.^[64] In a November 2008 interview to Fashion Rules magazine, Hilary stated that her "Stuff by Hilary Duff" line was officially discontinued since she did not have full control of the line anymore.^[65]

In September 2006, Duff released her perfume, "With Love... Hilary Duff", which was distributed by the Elizabeth Arden company. The perfume was initially sold only in Macy's in the U.S. and soon it was being sold in other regions like Europe, Japan and Canada. "With Love...Hilary Duff" was one of the three best-selling fragrances launched at U.S. department stores in late 2006. In 2007, Duff announced that she will be releasing a summer version of the perfume titled, "Wrapped with Love". It was released in January 2008, and a Spring Gift Set version was released in time for Valentine's Day.^[66]

In February 2009, Duff and DKNY Jeans announced their new design partnership and the launch of their collaborative apparel line in the objective of designing a clothing line for girls her own age.^[67][68] Duff co-designed a collection of special pieces with DKNY Jeans brand called Femme for DKNY Jeans. The clothing line debuted nationwide in August 2009 and was around for a limited time.^[69][70] A series of three-minute long shorts titled The Chase were released to promoted the brand.

On October 12, 2010, Simon & Schuster published Duff's first novel, Elixir co-written with Elise Allen.^[71] The book, aimed at young adults, has since been released internationally and has become a New York Times best-seller. The sequel to the book, titled Devoted was released in hardcover on October 11, 2011.^[72] Duff also plans to release a non-fiction book in 2012 based on children coping with divorce.^[73]

Philanthropy[link]

Hilary Duff and Sarah Negrette in June 2005

Duff is involved with various philanthropic activities and is an animal rights enthusiast and a member of Kids with a Cause.^[74] She donated $250,000 to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.^[75] In 2005, she donated over 2.5 million meals to Hurricane Katrina victims in the south. In August 2006, Duff traveled to a New Orleans elementary school and worked with USA Harvest to distribute meals.^[76] She has also served on the Advisory Board of the "Audrey Hepburn Child Benefit Fund" and the Celebrity Council of "Kids with a Cause".^[77] On October 8, 2008, Duff starred in a public service announcement for The Think Before You Speak Campaign by Ad Council and GLSEN, to prevent youth from using anti-LGBT vocabulary, such as the phrase "That's So Gay".^[78] In July 2009, Duff was named as a Youth Ambassador to the children of the Colombian capital, Bogota. As a Youth Ambassador, she spent five days in the country, distributing backpacks filled with food to needy children.^[79]

Duff has stated numerous times that she’s a strong animal rights supporter and has commented, when asked what she would be doing if she weren’t a celebrity, "I always wanted to be a veterinarian when I was younger, but then I figured out that animals actually die there, so that was not the job for me. Definitely something with kids or animals or something like that."^[80]

Personal life and image[link]

Hilary Duff at the Toronto International Film Festival Party in 2007

She dated Aaron Carter on and off between 2001 and 2003. In July 2004, a 16 year old Duff began dating Good Charlotte singer Joel Madden.^[81] After a long period of tabloid speculation, Duff's mother Susan announced their relationship in a June 2005 interview for Seventeen magazine.^[82] In November 2006, Duff and Madden broke up.^[83] The same year, Duff's parents separated after 22 years of marriage. She wrote about the pain caused by the separation in her songs "Stranger" and "Gypsy Woman".^[84] In a June 2006 interview with Elle magazine, Duff was quoted as saying: "...(virginity) is definitely something I like about myself. It doesn't mean I haven't thought about sex, because everyone I know has had it and you want to fit in".^[85][86] Duff later told MuchMusic that she did not say the quotes attributed to her in the article and that the subject was "definitely not something that I would talk about..."^[87] She denied the quotes again in a 2008 interview with Maxim magazine.^[88]

In 2007, Duff began dating NHL player Mike Comrie. On February 19, 2010, Duff and Comrie announced their engagement.^[89][90] The couple married on August 14, 2010 in Santa Barbara, California.^[91] Duff gave birth to their first child, a son named Luca Cruz Comrie, on March 20, 2012.^[92][93]

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

Television[link]

Discography[link]

• Santa Claus Lane (2002)
• Metamorphosis (2003)
• Hilary Duff (2004)
• Dignity (2007)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Dougherty, Terri (2007). Hillary Duff. Lucent Books. ISBN 978-1-4205-0012-7. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Hilary Duff

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Hilary Duff

• Hilary Duff on Myspace
• Hilary Duff on Twitter
• Hilary Duff at the Internet Movie Database
• Hilary Duff at People.com
• Official website
• Official Hollywood Records Page

Ann Romney
Ann Romney after speaking at CPAC in 2011
First Lady of Massachusetts
In office January 3, 2003 – January 4, 2007
Preceded by	Chuck Hunt (acting)
Succeeded by	Diane Patrick
Personal details
Born	Ann Lois Davies (1949-04-16) April 16, 1949 (age 63)[1]
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Mitt Romney (m. 1969) «start: (1969)»"Marriage: Mitt Romney to Ann Romney" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Ann_Romney)
Children	Tagg (b. 1970) Matt (b. 1971) Josh (b. 1975) Ben (b. 1978) Craig (b. 1981)
Residence	Belmont, Massachusetts Wolfeboro, New Hampshire La Jolla, San Diego, California
Alma mater	Brigham Young University (B.A.)
Occupation	Homemaker
Religion	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)

Ann Lois Romney (née Davies; born April 16, 1949) is the wife of American businessman and Republican Party politician Mitt Romney. From 2003 to 2007 she was First Lady of Massachusetts.

She was raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and attended the private Kingswood School there, where she dated Mitt Romney. She converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1966. She attended Brigham Young University (BYU) and married Mitt Romney in 1969. Ann Romney completed credits towards her undergraduate degree through Harvard Extension School, and in 1975 she received a Bachelor of Arts in French from BYU.

As First Lady of Massachusetts, she served as the governor's liaison for federal faith-based initiatives. She was involved in a number of children's charities, including Operation Kids, and was an active participant in her husband's 2008 presidential run, where she became the most visible of all the Republican candidates' wives in campaigning. She has continued campaigning on her husband's behalf during his 2012 presidential bid.

Ann was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998 and has credited a mixture of mainstream and alternative treatments with giving her a lifestyle mostly without limitations. In one of those activities, equestrianism, she has consequently received recognition in dressage as an adult amateur at the national level and competed professionally in Grand Prix as well. In 2008, she was also diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ, a non-invasive type of breast cancer. She underwent a lumpectomy in December of the same year and has since been cancer-free.

She and husband Mitt have five children, all boys, born between 1970 and 1981.

Early life[link]

Born Ann Lois Davies,^[2] she was raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan,^[3] by parents Edward R. Davies and Lois Davies.^[4] Her father, originally from Caerau near Bridgend, Wales,^[5] was a self-made businessman who became president of Jered Industries, a maker of heavy machinery for marine use;^[4][6] he also was mayor of Bloomfield Hills.^[3] Raised in the Welsh Congregationalists, he had become strongly opposed to all organized religion,^[6] although on her request the family very occasionally attended church, and she nominally identified as an Episcopalian.^[7][8] At times she helped out at her father's plant.^[9]

Ann Davies knew of Mitt Romney since elementary school.^[8] She went to the private Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills,^[10] which was the sister school to the all-boys Cranbrook School that he attended.^[10] The two were re-introduced and began dating in March 1965;^[11] they informally agreed to marriage after his senior prom in June 1965.^[6][11]

While he was attending Stanford University for a year and then was away starting two-and-a-half years of Mormon missionary duty in France,^[11] she decided on her own^[3] to convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during 1966.^[6][12] In doing so she accepted the guidance of Mitt's father George Romney, the Governor of Michigan.^[6] (Within a year her two brothers followed her in converting.^[6]) She graduated from high school in 1967 and began attending Brigham Young University (BYU).^[3] She also spent a semester at the University of Grenoble in France during her freshman year.^[4] The Mormon missionary rules allowed her only two brief visits with Mitt and very rare telephone calls with him.^[13] While at BYU, she dated future business academic Kim S. Cameron.^[13][14] She sent Mitt a "Dear John letter", while Mitt sent letters back imploring her to wait for him.^[14]

Marriage and children[link]

Immediately after Romney's return from France in December 1968, the pair reconnected and agreed to get married as soon as possible.^[13] Ann Davies and Mitt Romney were married by a church elder in a civil ceremony on March 21, 1969, at her Bloomfield Hills home, with a reception afterward at a local country club.^[4][13] Among the 250 guests was U.S. House Minority Leader Gerald Ford, and President Richard Nixon sent congratulations.^[15] The following day the couple flew to Utah for a wedding ceremony inside the Salt Lake Temple; her parents could not attend since they were non-Mormons, but were present at a subsequent wedding breakfast held for them across the street.^[4][16]

The couple's first son was born in 1970^[13] while both were undergraduates at BYU^[17] (which Mitt had transferred to based upon her request).^[14] After he graduated, the couple moved to Boston so that he could attend Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School. Slowed down by parenthood, she later finished her undergraduate work by gaining a semester and half's worth of credits via taking night courses at Harvard University Extension School.^[17] Ann Romney received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in French language from BYU in 1975.^[1][18]

A stay-at-home mother,^[19] Romney raised the family's five boys (born between 1970 and 1981)^[13] and taught early morning seminary to them and other children^[19] while her husband pursued his career, first in business, then in politics.^[20] She wanted to go on for a master's degree, perhaps in art history, but first taking care of her children, and later her health issues, forestalled that.^[17] She was active in the local PTA and with the League of Women Voters.^[21] With a friend, she held local cooking classes.^[9]

Her first prolonged public exposure came during her husband's eventually losing effort in the 1994 U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts,^[19] during which she campaigned for him on a nightly basis.^[15] She was seen as superficial and too deferential to him^[19] and some columnists labelled her a "Stepford wife".^[22] Late in that campaign, she gave a long interview to The Boston Globe.^[15] Her statement in it that she and her husband had never had a serious argument during their married years^[15] came in for ridicule,^[23] and her portrayal of the couple's student years as financially impoverished, while they lived off of sales of George Romney's stock and loans, made her seem privileged and naïve and brought a harsh public reaction.^[24][25] Boston University political science professor later said, "She definitely hurt him in that race."^[19] Ann Romney later termed the experience "a real education".^[19]

Multiple sclerosis[link]

During 1997, Ann Romney began experiencing severe numbness, fatigue, and other symptoms,^[13] and just before Thanksgiving in 1998, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.^[17][20] Mitt Romney described watching her fail a series of neurological tests as the worst day of his life.^[13] He later said: "I couldn't operate without Ann. We're a partnership. We've always been a partnership so her being healthy and our being able to be together is essential."^[17] She initially experienced a period of severe difficulty with the disease,^[1] and later said: "I was very sick in 1998 when I was diagnosed. I was pretty desperate, pretty frightened and very, very sick. It was tough at the beginning, just to think, this is how I'm going to feel for the rest of my life."^[26]

Since then, she credits a mixture of mainstream and alternative treatments with giving her a lifestyle mostly without limitations.^[1] She initially used corticosteroids, including intravenously, and credited them with helping stop the progression of the disease.^[26] She then dropped them and other medications due to counterproductive side effects.^[19] She has partaken of reflexology, acupuncture, and craniosacral therapy, and has said, "There is huge merit in both Eastern and Western medicine, and I've taken a little bit from both."^[26] She is a board member for the New England chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.^[18]

Equestrianism[link]

Romney is an avid equestrian, crediting her renewed involvement in it while in Park City, Utah, (where the couple had built a vacation home and where they lived when he was in charge of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games) for much of her recovery after her multiple sclerosis diagnosis^[20][27] and for her continued ability to deal with the disease.^[19] She has said that riding "saved my life", explaining that, "I was losing most of the function of my right side. And I decided I needed to go back and do what I loved before I couldn't do it anymore."^[28] At first she could barely stay on a horse without getting tired,^[29] but gradually the muscle control required for riding proved directly beneficial, and psychologically, "Riding exhilarated me; it gave me a joy and a purpose. When I was so fatigued that I couldn't move, the excitement of going to the barn and getting my foot in the stirrup would make me crawl out of bed."^[28] As a result, she said, "My desire to ride was, and is, so strong that I kept getting healthier and healthier."^[24]

She has received recognition in dressage as an adult amateur at the national level,^[19] including earning her 2006 Gold Medal^[30][28] and 2005 Silver Medal at the Grand Prix level from the United States Dressage Federation.^[18][28] She also sometimes competes in professional dressage events and has broken the 60% level at Grand Prix. Romney works with California trainer Jan Ebeling,^[31] who schools her and her horses in dressage and works with her importing new stock from Europe.^[29] The pair qualified for the Pan-Am games in 2004. The Romneys have helped fund Ebeling's attempt to qualify for equestrian competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics.^[29] By 2011, the horses she owned and kept at Eberling's Moorpark, California, stables, which she is a partner in,^[28] were valued at more than $250,000.^[32]

Charitable work[link]

Ann Romney has been involved in a number of children's charities, including having been a director of the inner city-oriented Best Friends, which seeks to assist inner-city adolescent girls.^[22][9] She advocated a celibacy-based approach to the prevention of teen pregnancy.^[24] She worked extensively with the Ten Point Coalition in Boston and with other groups that promoted better safety and opportunities for urban youths.^[33]

She was an honorary board member of Families First, a parent education program in Cambridge, Massachusetts.^[34] She was a volunteer instructor of middle-school girls at the multicultural Mother Caroline Academy in Boston.^[22][9]

She has said her interest in helping underprivileged children dates back to when she and her five boys saw a vehicle carrying a group of boys to a Massachusetts Department of Youth Services detention center.^[35] She began volunteering for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay soon after that,^[35] and by 2002 was serving as one of that organization's board members.^[34] She was on the Faith in Action Committee for the United Way, working with local religious establishments to assist at-risk children^[22] and helping to found United Way Faith and Action.^[33] Earlier, by 1996, she was a member of the Massachusetts Advisory Board of Stand for Children.^[36]

During the 2002 Winter Olympics effort, she co-chaired the Olympic Aid charity, whichs provides athletic activities and programs for children in war-torn regions.^[34][24]

Ann Romney was given the 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award from Salt Lake City-based Operation Kids.^[37]

First Lady of Massachusetts[link]

Romney joined in her husband's campaign in the 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial election from the start, and nominated him at the state party convention.^[25] A commercial entitled "Mitt and Ann", highlighting their romance and marriage, began the campaign's television advertising.^[22][24] She avoided media interviews like the one that plagued her in 1994, but was a force behind the scenes during the eventually successful campaign.^[22]

In January 2003, following his election, Romney became First Lady of Massachusetts, a position she held through January 2007. In that role, she generally kept a low public profile,^[38] with by her husband's initial indications no public role in administration or its policies.^[22] In 2006, The Boston Globe characterized her as "largely invisible" within the state (although by then she was becoming more visible outside the state, due to national appearances in connection with her husband's possible presidential campaign).^[38]

While Massachusetts First Lady, she was active in teenage pregnancy prevention efforts.^[39] In 2004, she said she was in favor of stem cell research as long as it was done "morally and ethically".^[26] One of her rare public appearances at the Massachusetts State House came in 2004 when she lobbied the legislature to raise awareness about multiple sclerosis.^[40]

In 2005, the governor appointed his wife as head of a new special office whose purpose was to help the state's faith-based groups gain more federal monies in association with the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.^[35][41] This came after the state had seen its share of faith-based grants decline over the preceding three years.^[42] In this unpaid Governor's Liaison position,^[18][41] Ann Romney was termed a "dynamo" by Jim Towey, director of the White House office.^[42]

At the conclusion of her time as Massachusetts First Lady, Romney said that the role "doesn't need to change your life at all. I think it's an opportunity for service and an opportunity to see people of all walks of life from across the Commonwealth...It's an enriching part of your life [and one will] treasure it forever."^[43] Her health was still a primary factor in family decisions about her husband's career, and Mitt said in 2005 that if her multiple sclerosis flared up, "I wouldn't be involved in politics anymore; that would be over." ^[44]

Role in 2008 presidential campaign[link]

Ann Romney with her husband, at a campaign stop in Altoona, Iowa on December 29, 2007.

Ann Romney was an active participant in her husband's 2008 presidential campaign.^[45] One past issue that arose involving her was her donation of $150 to Planned Parenthood in 1994,^[46] though she now considers herself pro-life^[47]. By late 2007, she had become an integral part of his campaign, and was doing more trips and appearances on her own, despite the risk that added stress would aggravate her condition.^[48]

Her political message was often mixed with discussions of her family, her recipes, or managing her affliction.^[19][48] Romney's television advertisements in the early primary states prominently featured her^[49] and by the close of 2007, she was the most visible of all the Republican candidates' wives in campaigning.^[19] Regarding having to witness criticism of her husband, she later acknowledged that she sometimes wanted to "come out of my seat and clock somebody [but] you learn to just take a deep breath."^[50] By the time he ended his campaign in February 2008, she had become openly distasteful of the whole process.^[23]

Between campaigns[link]

In late 2008, Romney was diagnosed with mammary ductal carcinoma in situ, a non-invasive type of breast cancer, and had the lump removed via lumpectomy;^[51] she subsequently underwent radiation therapy.^[50] Her prognosis from this condition was excellent,^[51] and she later reflected that "I was really lucky" to have caught it so early.^[50] President-elect Barack Obama was among the well-wishers who called her.^[52] She has been cancer-free since.

In June 2009, due to her husband's request, Ann Romney became the first spouse to be included in the official Massachusetts State House gubernatorial portrait.^[53]

For many years the couple's primary residence was a house in Belmont, Massachusetts,^[18] but this and the Utah home were sold in 2009. They reside in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, along Lake Winnipesaukee, and at an oceanfront home in La Jolla, San Diego, California, that they had bought the year before.^[54][55][56] Both locations were near some of the Romneys' grandchildren,^[55] who by 2012 numbered sixteen,^[57] and the La Jolla location is near where she rides horses and is well-situated for her multiple sclerosis therapies and for recovering from her cancer treatments.^[51][55][58] They also bought a smaller condominium in Belmont during 2010.^[59]

Role in 2012 presidential campaign[link]

Regarding another possible run for office by her husband in the 2012 presidential election, Romney said in March 2010 that this time the process would hold no surprises, and that if he decided in favor of doing it, "I’m up to saying, go storm the castle, sweetie."^[60] Although still not liking the political process, which she referred to as "a very difficult game", she urged her husband to run again.^[23]

Once the campaign began, she stumped for her husband in early primary states and criticized the record and ideological direction of the Obama administration.^[61] As part of trying to lighten her husband's image, she sometimes participated in comic setup routines with him.^[62] Romney said that if she became First Lady of the United States, she would seek to work with at-risk youths and on behalf of those with multiple sclerosis.^[63][23] She expressed admiration for three former first ladies, Mamie Eisenhower, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush.^[23]

By December 2011, Romney assumed an even more prominent role in the campaign, as she tried to offer a more rounded and compelling portrait of her husband while he fell behind Newt Gingrich for a stretch in polls.^[23][64] Her emphasis on their 42 years of marriage and his steadfastness following the onset of her disease offered an implicit but clear contrast with Gingrich's own personal history.^[23][64] During the up-and-down campaign she became known as the "Mitt-stabilizer" due to the calming effect she had on her husband, and began appearing with him more often during February 2012 as he dueled with Rick Santorum.^[65] Regarding the couple's wealth, she alluded to her health problems and said, "Look, I don't even consider myself wealthy, which is an interesting thing, it can be here today and gone tomorrow. And how I measure riches is by the friends I have and the loved ones that I have and the people that I care about in my life."^[66]

In April 2012, Ann Romney was spotlighted when Democratic commentator Hilary Rosen declared Romney to be unfit to address women's economic issues because as a stay-at-home mother, she had "never worked a day in her life".^[67] In response, Ann Romney issued her first tweet, saying "I made a choice to stay home and raise five boys. Believe me, it was hard work."^[68] The following day Rosen said, "I apologize to Ann Romney and anyone else who was offended."^[67]

Awards and honors[link]

In 2005, Ann Romney received an honorary degree from Mount Ida College.^[69] In 2006, she received the MS Society Inspiration Award from the Central New England Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.^[70][12] In May 2008, she shared with her husband the Canterbury Medal from The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, for "refus[ing] to compromise their principles and faith" during that year's presidential campaign.^[71]

See also[link]

• Republican Party presidential primaries, 2012

References[link]

External links[link]

• Video about Ann and her role in husband Mitt's 2012 presidential campaign, by CNN

v t e Mitt Romney Politics Governor of Massachusetts · Massachusetts health care reform · 1994 senatorial election · 2002 gubernatorial election · 2008 presidential campaign · 2012 presidential campaign · Political positions · Public image · Electoral history Olympics 2002 Winter Olympics (Salt Lake Organizing Committee) Business Bain & Company · Bain Capital Books Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games · No Apology: The Case for American Greatness Family Family tree · George W. Romney (father) · Lenore Romney (mother) · Ann Romney (spouse) · G. Scott Romney (brother)

Hilary Barry (born 1969, née Pankhurst) is a New Zealand journalist and television personality who currently presents the 6 pm 3 News with Mike McRoberts.

Early career[link]

Barry attended Queen Margaret College in Wellington, to age 18, and was head girl in her final year. She later completed a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and a Certificate of Journalism.

Barry began her career as a reporter for radio 89.3 TODAY FM (now More FM Wairarapa). She became a TV3 news reporter in Christchurch in 1993 then moved to Auckland to work as a reporter on 3 News. She read the morning news on radio station More FM and participated in the morning shows for 10 years.

Recent career[link]

Barry presented 3 News on weekends for six years, before presenting the weeknight 3 News. Former regular anchors John Campbell and Carol Hirschfeld moved on to respectively present and produce the 7 pm current affairs show, Campbell Live, in March 2005.^[1]

At the 2006 Qantas Television Awards she was voted Favourite New Zealand Female Personality.

On 9 February 2009, Barry became news anchor on the RadioLIVE breakfast show hosted by Marcus Lush.^[2]

Barry won the Best News or Current Affair Presenter award at the 2011 Aotearoa Film and Television Awards. She hosted The Coca Cola Christmas in the Park in December 2011. In March 2012, Barry won TV Guide's Best on The Box award for Best Presenter. ^[3] In May of 2012, Barry won the Radio Award for Best Newsreader. ^[4]

She and husband Mike, a teacher, have two sons.^[5]

References[link]

External links[link]

• 3 News website
• RadioLIVE website

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This New Zealand television-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Hilary Hahn
Hilary Hahn in 2007
Background information
Born	(1979-11-27) November 27, 1979 (age 32) Lexington, Virginia, USA
Genres	Classical
Occupations	Violinist
Instruments	1864 J.B. Vuillaume (Il Cannone Guarneri reproduction)

Hilary Hahn (born November 27, 1979) is a Grammy-winning American violinist.

Hahn was born in Lexington, Virginia. Beginning her studies when she was three years old at Baltimore's Peabody Institute, she was admitted to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia at age ten, and in 1991, made her major orchestral debut with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Hahn signed her first musical recording contract at age sixteen in 1996 with Sony Music. She graduated from the Curtis Institute in May 1999 with a Bachelor of Music degree.

Hahn plays on an 1864 copy of Paganini's Cannone made by Vuillaume. Her main interest is in solo performance; she also performs chamber music.

Early life and education[link]

Hahn began playing the violin one month before her fourth birthday in the Suzuki Program of Baltimore's Peabody Institute.^[1] She participated in a Suzuki class for a year. Between 1984 and 1989 Hahn studied in Baltimore under Klara Berkovich. In 1990, at ten, Hahn was admitted to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where she became a student of Jascha Brodsky. Hahn studied with Brodsky for seven years and learned the études of Kreutzer, Ševčík, Gaviniès, Rode, and the Paganini Caprices. She learned twenty-eight violin concertos, recital programs, and several other short pieces.^[2]

In 1991, Hahn made her major orchestral debut with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Soon thereafter, Hahn debuted with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. In 1995 Hahn made her international debut in Germany with a performance of the Beethoven Concerto for Violin with Lorin Maazel and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. The concert was broadcast on radio and television in Europe. A year later, Hahn debuted at Carnegie Hall in New York as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

By sixteen, Hahn had completed the Curtis Institute's university requirements, but elected to remain for several years to pursue elective courses, until her graduation in May 1999 with a Bachelor of Music degree. During this time she coached violin with Jaime Laredo, and studied chamber music with Felix Galimir and Gary Graffman. In an interview with PBS in December 2001, Hahn stated that of all musical disciplines, she is most interested in performance.^[3]

Musical career[link]

In 1996 when she was sixteen years old, Sony Music signed Hahn to an exclusive recording contract.^[4] After Hahn completed her part of the contract with Sony, which was for five recordings over six years, she decided against renewing the contract as she and Sony did not agree on her future projects.^[4] Instead, Hahn signed with Deutsche Grammophon in 2003 after her contract with Sony expired in the year before.^[4]

Hahn has played with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. She debuted with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in March 2007, and played in Vatican City as part of the celebrations for Pope Benedict XVI together with the Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra and conductor Gustavo Dudamel, also in 2007.

She began performing and touring in a crossover duo with singer-songwriter Josh Ritter in 2007 and with singer-songwriter Tom Brosseau in 2005.^[5] According to Hahn, "Other musicians cross genres all the time. For me it's not crossover—I just enter their world. It frees you up to think in a different way from what you've been trained to do."^[6]

In addition to being a solo violinist, Hahn has also performed as a chamber musician. Since the summer of 1992 she has performed nearly every year with the Skaneateles Chamber Music Festival in Skaneateles, New York. Between 1995 and 2000 she performed and studied chamber music at the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont, and in 1996 she served as an artist and a member of the chamber music mentoring program of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

In an 1999 interview with Strings Magazine, Hahn cited people influential on her development as a musician and a student, including David Zinman, the conductor of the Baltimore Symphony, and Hahn's mentor since she was ten, Lorin Maazel, with whom she worked in Europe with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.^[7]

Hahn sometimes feels that classical-music admirers "make it hard for people who are just coming in. I think that if people show up in jeans and chains, it's great that all parts of culture are interested in music. People forget sometimes that it's about the music, not how you act and dress."^[6]

During concerts she does hope for absolute quiet from the audience during the music. "Not out of snobbishness or holy respect for the music, but just so everyone (including the performers) can hear it. Great music can be quite comfortable and relaxing, and you can sleep—as long as you don't snore."^[6]

On January 14, 2010, Hahn appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien in support of her album, Bach: Violin & Voice.^[8] Shortly thereafter the album sold 1,000 copies, reaching #1 on a Billboard classical chart,^[9] officially peaking at #6 on the Billboard Classical Albums chart.^[10]

On playing Bach[link]

In 1999, Hahn said that she played Bach more than any other composer and that she had played solo Bach pieces every day since she was eight.^[2]