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A life full of accomplishments(CNN) - Marian Wright Edelman's life of service has yielded several notable accomplishments and honors. Prior to founding the Children's Defense Fund, she served as the Director of the Center for Law and Education at Harvard for two years. She became the first woman elected by alumni to the Yale University Corporation around the same time, serving on the board from 1971 to 1977. Edelman has also played a major role at her other alma mater, Spelman, chairing its Board of Trustees from 1976 to 1987.
She also authored several books, including the number-one New York Times bestseller, "The Measure of Our Success: A Letter to My Children and Yours." But while she has been recognized for her literary works, receiving the Robert F. Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award for her writings, most of Edelman's honors have been linked to her work with civil and children's rights. The MacArthur Foundation gave her one of its "genius" fellowships in 1985. Edelman has received the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award as well as the Heinz Award, in 1995, recognizing her contributions to improving the "human condition." In 2000, Edelman received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award. As much as she's accomplished, as much good work as she's done, Edelman is even more excited about the future. "This is a magical moment in history -- a new millenium, a new century, a globalizing world," she said. "This is the time to have a new dialogue about what is important, and to redefine the measure of success." RELATED STORIES: 15 Americans awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom RELATED SITES: Harvard University | ||||||||
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