Statement on the Death
of Clare Boothe Luce
Nancy
and I were saddened to learn of the death this morning of our friend,
Ambassador Clare Boothe Luce. Born into a relatively
humble home and given only a limited formal education, Mrs. Luce built a life
and career that made her a legend: editor of Vanity Fair; playwright of
Broadway hits, including the classic ``The Women''; author of countless books
and articles; war correspondent for Life magazine; Congresswoman; Ambassador;
wife of Henry Luce, founder of Time magazine and one of the Nation's preeminent
journalists; and, of course, a woman who was constantly expanding the
boundaries of what a woman could do. As Wilfrid Sheed wrote about Mrs. Luce's career: ``It was brand-new
territory, outside the tiny compound where women lived in those days. Clare was
a pioneer not just during office hours but every breathing minute.
. . .''
Nancy
and I knew Mrs. Luce as a woman of generosity, charm, forcefulness, and -- a
point not always noted -- gentleness. Her Roman Catholic faith was central to
her life and thought. And always, there was her concern for the Nation. Near
the end of her life, Mrs. Luce moved from her retirement home in