Clare Boothe Luce
A razor-sharp playwright, congresswoman, and diplomat who wielded her wit and intellect to break barriers in American arts and politics.
1903–1987 (age 84)·American author and politician·Birthday: March 10·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Clare Boothe Luce lived a dozen lives in one. She began as a savvy magazine editor at Vanity Fair, but her true breakthrough was the stage. Her 1936 play 'The Women,' a scathing, all-female satire of high-society gossip, became a smash hit and cemented her reputation for merciless wit. Never content with a single arena, she turned to politics after the death of her daughter, serving two terms as a Republican Congresswoman from Connecticut. In Washington, her speeches were as polished and biting as her plays. President Eisenhower then appointed her Ambassador to Italy, making her one of the first American women to hold a major diplomatic post. Married to publishing magnate Henry Luce, she moved through the highest circles of power, always as a formidable operator in her own right, using her pen and her voice to challenge expectations of what a woman could achieve.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Clare was born in 1903, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Clare Was Born
The biggest hits of 1903
Clare's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1903Born
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Started school
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1916Became a teenager
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1919Could drive
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Could vote
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1924Turned 21
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1933Turned 30
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1943Turned 40
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 50
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 60
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 70
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 80
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1987Died at 84
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
Key Achievements
- Wrote the successful and frequently revived satirical play 'The Women,' which featured an entirely female cast.
- Served as a U.S. Representative for Connecticut from 1943 to 1947, advocating for a strong national defense.
- Became the first American woman appointed to a major ambassadorial post, serving as U.S. Ambassador to Italy from 1953 to 1956.
- Had a prolific career as a journalist and editor, including a role as managing editor of Vanity Fair in the 1930s.
- Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in 1983.
Did You Know?
She worked as a script doctor for Hollywood films, though often uncredited.
She converted to Roman Catholicism in 1946, which deeply influenced her later political and personal life.
During World War II, she worked as a war correspondent for Life magazine, reporting from Europe and Asia.
She was offered the vice-presidential nomination by the Republican Party in 1952 but declined.
Her mother was once a dancer in the chorus of the Ziegfeld Follies.
“Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, 'She doesn't have what it takes.' They will say, 'Women don't have what it takes.'”
