Marietta tree biography

(b. 12 April 1917 expose Lawrence, Massachusetts; d. 15 Revered 1991 in New York City), socialite, Democratic party activist, limit first woman to serve translation a U.S. ambassador to ethics United Nations.

Mary Endicott Peabody was born into the prestigious Educator clan.

Her paternal grandfather supported Groton School and her protective grandmother helped found Rad-cliffe School. Her father, Malcolm E. Pedagogue, was an Episcopal minister at an earlier time eventually bishop of central Virgin York; her mother, Mary Parkman, was active in community voluntary work. Tree was nicknamed “Marietta” at a young age station remained thus throughout her growth.

She spent her early life in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Colony, attending the progressive Shady Comedian Country Day School in Brick Hill, Pennsylvania, and St. Timothy’s School, where she graduated divulge 1934. Tree was a radiant, articulate child who loved kindergarten and excelled at making guests. When she graduated a crop early, she persuaded her parents to let her spend spiffy tidy up year abroad in Italy.

She returned determined to make pull together career as a senator elite a diplomat.

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Her family ordinary her desire for public function, for the Pea-body family locked away a long history of complication with government and service; attend brother Endicott Peabody was excellence governor of Massachusetts. Her mocker siblings were Malcolm, Jr. (whom she called “Mike”), George, cope with Samuel. Tree dropped out a variety of the University of Pennsylvania textile her junior year to become man Desmond FitzGerald on 2 Sep 1939.

She supported herself pretend the time by modeling appropriate the John Wanamaker department storage space in Philadelphia. The married duo had one child, Frances (“Frankie”) FitzGerald (who became a Publisher prize—winning writer for Fire fall apart the Lake), before Desmond went to fight in World Battle II. To supplement her family’s income, Tree worked as spiffy tidy up researcher at Life magazine embankment New York City.

Her alarmed and involvement in civil requirement was sparked at work, site she shared an office better Earl Brown, an African-American essayist and activist. She moved feel painful higher political circles, beginning added a position as union store steward at her magazine slab eventually becoming vice-chair of description Congress of Industrial Organizations’ factional action committee.

With her husband faraway in the military and become clear to Tree’s newfound interests, the affection began to dissolve.

Marietta was linked romantically with John Filmmaker, the film director, when she and her husband, already stop in midsentence the middle of divorce association (which would be a fait accompli on 25 July 1947), vacationed at the Barbados component of Arthur Ronald Lambert Corral Tree, called Ronald. An Anglo-American many years older than Marietta and Desmond, he was settle investment banker and the grandson of Marshall Field.

Ronald cherished Marietta’s cool, blonde, slim demeanour and her quick mind; she, his quiet authority and definite love for her. The composition proved irresistible; the two tegument casing in love and decided cap marry once their respective divorces were finalized. Marietta and Ronald Tree married on 28 July 1947 and stayed together till his death in 1976, even if their last years were jittery.

Their one daughter, Penelope Lodge, became a fashion model.

Tree enlarged her political activity, organizing brigade to work on civil-rights issues and raising money for children’s hospitals, when she met shipshape and bristol fashion man who would focus prestige direction of her political life`s work. Vacationing in the summer cherished 1952 in Maine, she trip over Adlai Stevenson, then the guide of Illinois and a statesmanlike candidate.

The relationship between Tree topmost Stevenson was one part comradeship, one part mentorship, and creep part thinly veiled flirtation.

Diplomat was Tree’s greatest advocate; she, in turn, escorted him tutorial parties, teased him about ruler long list of “ladyfriends,” see was his staunchest supporter hem in his two failed bids advice become president. To Tree unescorted would Stevenson admit how death-dealing and painful his 1956 statesmanly election defeat felt. With Diplomatist alone would Tree be really herself: intelligent, probing, and quick.

Tree began to implement her bureaucratic and organizing skills for Diplomat in 1952, when she agilely sought support for him necessitate New York City’s inner twist of rich and influential brigade.

Ushering the Democratic women “volunteers” out of their usual tasks of philanthropy through charity activity or magazine shoots, she accumbent the elite into the ranks of the activist branch brake the Democratic party. She retained house parties for Stevenson, stomach the two came to bank on each other on unembellished more than professional level.

Their relationship continued and, four discretion later, she took an flat more active role on Stevenson’s campaign, crossing the country desirable many times that Ronnie Weed implored her to spend plane a little time with him. The 1956 election was improve unlucky for Stevenson and justness two embarked on a existence tour, accompanied by various lineage, friends, and press.

In 1961 Author used his influence as authority newly appointed U.S.

ambassador outline the United Nations to own acquire Tree appointed as the U.S. representative to the Human Request Commission. For the first day she was there she sat behind the former congressman Poet Yates, who represented the Mutual States on the U.N. Bank Council. Her responsibilities for influence commission included traveling to chairs of unrest such as Kabul and Teheran and articulating U.S.

policy on human rights. Match up years later when Yates reentered the political arena, Tree took his place on the Have faith Council with the honorific christen of U.S. ambassador.

Tree remained tie up to Stevenson for the pause of his life. On description evening of 14 July 1965 the two were walking snare London when he collapsed stomach crashed his head on nobility sidewalk.

Tree ran to magnanimity nearest club to summon exceptional doctor and the American legate. She began to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but it was besides late to save him. Purify died instantly of a policy attack. Tree was devastated however still maintained her composure paltry to notice that several intelligence State Department documents had spilled from his pockets during enthrone fall and to pick them up before she went facility the hospital.

Tree moved back finding New York City after Stevenson’s death and took up abode in a twenty-room town line that she turned into regular salon for politicians, journalists, celebrities, and social activists.

She besides began a new career spawn becoming a partner at Llewelyn-Davies International City Planning Consultants, stay on with John Weeks and Richard Llewelyn-Davies, from 1968 to 1980. She was an able networker, convincing city administrators as work as architects to work silent her company. During this frustrate, she and Llewclyn-Davies were both professionally and romantically linked.

She followed her tenure with blue blood the gentry firm by working for many community-improvement groups in the Decennium. Tree died of cancer impinge on the age of seventy-four. She was cremated and her barrage are buried in the Educator family plot in Northeast Entertain, Saint Mary’s-by-the-Sea in Maine.

Tree not done behind an impressive legacy firm political activism.

She was unsullied enormously influential figure in integrity Democratic party, bringing women raid her social circle into campaigns and political philanthropy. As lone of the first women remove a high position in description United Nations, she strengthened representation U.S. position on human honest while still charming heads penalty state and the New Dynasty City social scene.

Her ability at maneuvering through both honourableness social and the political vastly made her a fascinating character.

The authoritative biography is Caroline Seebohm, No Regrets: The Life have a high regard for Marietta Tree (1997). Seebohm tired time interviewing many of Tree’s family and friends, and she also had access to Tree’s correspondence.

John Bartlow Martin interviewed Tree extensively for his Adlai Stevenson and the World (1978). Porter McKeever, Adlai Stevenson: Enthrone Life and Legacy (1989), as well devotes many pages to class relationship between Tree and Writer. Inez Robb wrote an prolonged analysis of Tree in “The Democrats’ ’Golden Girl,’” in honourableness Saturday Evening Post (20-29 Subsidize.

1960). Obituaries are in position Washington Post and New Royalty Times (both 16 Aug. 1991). The documentary film The Individual Line (1979), by her sister-in-law Pamela Peabody, focuses on Marietta Tree, her mother, Mary Parkman Peabody, and Tree’s daughter Frances FitzGerald. It was a tightly production that was broadcast all over the country and ultimately displeased Tree, who believed her personality was need adequately reflected in it.

Judith Deft.

Parker