Jane Weinberger
Jane Weinberger | |
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Born | Rebecca Jane Dalton March 29, 1918 publisher |
Spouse | |
Children | 2 |
Rebecca Jane Weinberger (née Dalton; March 29, 1918 – July 12, 2009) was an American
She wrote over a dozen books during her career, many written for children and young adults.Early life
Born as Rebecca Jane Dalton on March 29, 1918, in Milford, Maine,[1] she attended the University of Maine and the Somerville Hospital School of Nursing in Somerville, Massachusetts.[2]
Dalton, who became a
Marriage
The couple married three weeks later, once the ship had disembarked in Australia.
Career
Caspar Weinberger initially worked for a San Francisco law firm. His wife persuaded him to run for political office and worked as his first campaign manager.
Weinberger's career continued to rise during the
Author
Jane Weinberger first began writing and publishing during Reagan's first term, while her husband, Caspar Weinberger, was Defense Secretary.[1] Her career in publishing began as the result of one of the Reagan administration's budget cuts. President Reagan had eliminated funding for the Future Scientists Fund, which would team students with scientists at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, for the summer.[1] Jane had been a key supporter of the program.
Weinberger authored a children's book, Vim, about a
Weinberger founded the publishing company Windswept House Publishers in 1984. The publishing house was named for the Weinberger family home located in Somesville, Maine on Mount Desert Island.[1] Weinberger ran the company from her home.[3] Windswept House initially published children's books written by Weinberger, but she expanded its catalogue to include children's publications written by other authors, as well as books for adults. The company has published over 120 books, many aimed at young people, since its creation.[2]
In 1991, Weinberger released As Ever: A Selection of Letters from the Voluminous Correspondence of Jane Weinberger, 1970-1990, a compilation of letters which she had written to her friends and family.[2] The letters offered an insight into Weinberger's views of top political figures. She called Nancy Reagan "irritable and snappish", referred to former Soviet ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Dobrynin as "a wily old bastard but amusing" and stated that former vice president Spiro Agnew "makes me sick".[1]
Weinberger was also involved in a number of other charitable causes. She served as the chairwoman of the
Weinberger and her husband co-founded a scholarship for students at Mount Desert Island High School pursuing careers in vocational programs. She authored her last book, Experience the Journey, in 2003.[2] Her husband Caspar Weinberger died in 2006, aged 88.[3]
Later life
Jane Weinberger had been in poor health before suffering a stroke in July 2009. She died at a nursing care facility in Bar Harbor, Maine, on July 12, 2009, aged 91.[1] Her ashes were scattered in the gardens of her home in Somesville, Maine.[3] She was survived by her two children, daughter Arlin Weinberger, and son, Caspar Weinberger, Jr.; three grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and a sister.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Woo, Elaine (2009-07-15). "Jane Weinberger dies at 91; author, publisher and wife of Defense secretary". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ^ New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
- ^ a b c d e Trotter, Bill (2009-07-14). "Caspar Weinberger's widow, a Milford native, dies at age 91". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
External links
- Bangor Daily News: Caspar Weinberger's widow, a Milford native, dies at age 91
- [1] Wayback Machine archive of above url