- In full:
- Donna Edna Shalala
- Born:
- February 14, 1941, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. (age 85)
- Title / Office:
- House of Representatives (2019-), United States
- Awards And Honors:
- Presidential Medal of Freedom (2008)
Donna Shalala
-
Who is Donna Shalala?
Donna Shalala (born in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 14, 1941) is an American educator, administrator, and public official.
Shalala's career includes:
* Serving as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (1993–2001) under President Bill Clinton
* Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives (2019–21)
* Working as the assistant secretary for policy research and development at the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C. (1977 to 1980)Shalala has also held positions such as president of CUNY’s Hunter College (1980), chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison (1988), and president of the University of Miami (2001–15).
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What important government jobs has Donna Shalala held?
Donna Shalala has held several important government positions. She worked as the assistant secretary for policy research and development at the Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1977 to 1980. As secretary of health and human services (HHS) under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001, she revised the country’s health-care system, implemented a nationwide immunization plan, combatted tobacco use among children, and expanded AIDS research. In 2019, Shalala served in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she voted to impeach President Donald Trump.
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What did Donna Shalala do as the Secretary of Health and Human Services?
As Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton, Donna Shalala focused on revising the financial structure of the country’s health-care system, implementing a nationwide immunization plan, combating tobacco use among children and teens, and continuing and expanding AIDS research. Shalala also collaborated with Vice President Al Gore to promote organ donation.
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Which presidents did Donna Shalala work for during her career?
Donna Shalala served under Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. During the Carter administration (1977-1980), she was the assistant secretary for policy research and development at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Later, as secretary of health and human services (1993–2001) under President Bill Clinton, Shalala worked to revise the financial structure of the country’s health-care system, implement a nationwide immunization plan, combat tobacco use among children and teens, and continue and expand AIDS research. In 2007, President George W. Bush appointed Shalala and Bob Dole to head a commission investigating the problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
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What were Donna Shalala's achievements in education and health care?
Donna Shalala is an American educator, administrator, and public official. As secretary of health and human services (1993–2001), she aimed to revise the financial structure of the country’s health-care system, implement a nationwide immunization plan, combat tobacco use among children and teens, and continue and expand AIDS research. She also worked to increase organ donation. Before that role, as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, she instituted the “Madison Plan,” which increased recruitment of minority students and faculty. She served as president of Hunter College, where she increased the percentages of female and minority faculty and administrators.
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How has Donna Shalala influenced both politics and higher education in the United States?
Donna Shalala has had a significant influence in both politics and higher education. During the Carter administration, she addressed women’s issues at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. As chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, she implemented the "Madison Plan" to increase minority recruitment. As secretary of health and human services under President Bill Clinton, she worked to revise the health-care system and combat tobacco use. Later, as president of the University of Miami, she continued her work in education. In 2019, she became a U.S. Representative for Florida.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Donna Shalala (born February 14, 1941, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.) is an American educator, administrator, and public official who was secretary of health and human services (1993–2001) under U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton and who later served in the U.S. House of Representatives (2019–21).
Shalala attended Western College in Oxford, Ohio, earning a B.A. in 1962. After graduation she spent two years in the Peace Corps in Iran. Upon her return, she entered Syracuse University, where she earned a master’s degree in social science in 1968 and a Ph.D. in 1970. She spent the next nine years teaching political science and education at the university level at Bernard Baruch College (part of the City University of New York [CUNY]) and at Columbia University’s Teachers College.
In 1975, while still teaching, she served as the director and treasurer of the Municipal Assistance Corporation, credited with helping rescue New York City from near bankruptcy. From 1977 to 1980, during the administration of Pres. Jimmy Carter, Shalala worked as the assistant secretary for policy research and development at the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C. In this position, she worked primarily on women’s issues—setting up shelters, establishing mortgage credits, and pressing for antidiscrimination measures.
In 1980 she became president of CUNY’s Hunter College. There she added to her reputation as a committed feminist by overseeing dramatic increases in the percentages of female and minority faculty and administrators. In 1988 she became the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, one of the largest universities in the United States. Confronted by a campus afflicted with racial tension, she instituted the “Madison Plan,” which increased recruitment of minority students and faculty and reflected her commitment to a “multiethnic, multiracial, multicultural” academic environment.
A dynamic leader and a strong advocate, Shalala was selected to be secretary of health and human services in 1993. Her main objectives in her new position included revising the financial structure of the country’s health-care system, implementing a nationwide immunization plan, combating tobacco use among children and teens, and continuing and expanding AIDS research. She also worked with Vice President Al Gore to increase organ donation.
Following her eight-year stint under Clinton, Shalala returned to education, serving as president of the University of Miami (2001–15). In 2007 U.S. Pres. George W. Bush appointed Shalala and Bob Dole to head a commission investigating the problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The following year Shalala received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2018 she launched a bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, running in Florida’s 27th district. She was elected later that year and took office in January 2019. In December 2019 Shalala voted to impeach Pres. Donald Trump, who was accused of withholding aid to Ukraine in order to pressure the country into opening a corruption investigation into Joe Biden, a political rival; Trump was later acquitted by the Senate.
Shalala ran for reelection in 2020 but was defeated. She left office the following year.
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