Libby Pataki (born Mary Elizabeth Rowland;[1] November 17, 1950) is the former First Lady of New York and the wife of former New York Governor George Pataki. She served as First Lady from 1995 to 2006 during the three terms of her husband's administration.
Libby Pataki | |
|---|---|
 Pataki in November 2007 | |
| First Lady of New York | |
| In role January 1, 1995 – December 31, 2006 | |
| Governor | George Pataki |
| Preceded by | Matilda Cuomo |
| Succeeded by | Silda Wall |
| First Lady of Peekskill | |
| In role January 1, 1981 – December 31, 1984 | |
| Preceded by | Priscilla Bianco |
| Succeeded by | Ruth Jackson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mary Elizabeth Rowland November 17, 1950 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4, including Allison Pataki |
| Residence | Garrison, New York |
| Alma mater | Clark University |
Life and career
editPataki was born in Dallas, Texas, to Monique (Leblanc) and Col. Henry C. Rowland, Jr., an army officer and diplomat.[1][2][3] Her mother was French.[4]
As First Lady, Pataki focused on promoting the state's agriculture industry and preventing breast cancer.[5] Traveling throughout the state of New York, she worked to increase public awareness of breast cancer.
Pataki is a former marketing executive who managed the family farm in Peekskill, New York. As First Lady, Pataki accepted contracts to serve as a marketing consultant with various corporations, including Revlon.
In 2000, Pataki appeared on a radio show in which she criticized then-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani for taking too long to drop out of the U.S. Senate race against First Lady Hillary Clinton. Pataki said that the delay hampered the campaign of the eventual Republican nominee, Congressman Rick Lazio.
Pataki's father was a career military officer. She graduated from Beaufort High School in Beaufort, South Carolina and Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. She and her husband, who married in 1973, have four children. Along with Nathan Sharansky, she serves as the co-founder of the pro-Israel institution One Jerusalem which supports the Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem, a territory recognised as being under Israeli occupation by the international community.
References
edit- ^ a b "HENRY ROWLAND DIES". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. 1994-06-26. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
- ^ O'Neill, Molly (17 December 1994). "Libby Pataki, in Transition; Personal Life is Also Changing for the Next First Lady". The New York Times.
- ^ "The Definitive, Categorical, Alphabetical Guide to our Next First Lady…Or Man". Vanity Fair. 22 May 2015.
- ^ Gross, Jane (11 April 2000). "PUBLIC LIVES; Governor's Mansion Isn't Where the Heart is". The New York Times.
- ^ Gov Site Archived 2006-11-03 at the Wayback Machine