Shortly after U.S. President John F. Kennedy took office in 1961, his sister Eunice persuaded him and other family members to reveal one of their most closely guarded secrets: that their sister Rosemary had an intellectual disability.
Our Founder: Eunice Kennedy Shriver, soon after the founding of Special Olympics in 1968. Learn more
Until that time, it was a secret that the Kennedys had not shared with millions of other Americans.
At that time, people with intellectual disabilities and their families were the objects of considerable scorn, shuttered at home and out of sight, and more often than not, warehoused in remote institutions.
It was to this public that Eunice Shriver wrote a cover story for The Saturday Evening Post. The groundbreaking article did more than reveal the family secret; it also exposed the injustices that people with intellectual disabilities suffered and explored the untapped potential of this hidden segment of society.
It was on the heels of this public revelation that Special Olympics was born. In 1958, Eunice received phone calls from parents telling her they could not get their children with intellectual disabilities into summer camps. In response, Eunice started a day camp in her back yard – Camp Shriver. From the first day, it was clear that campers could play sports, and benefit from them. It was equally clear that non-disabled young people learned from coaching the campers. Inspired, Eunice created more camps. By 1968, she opened 40 locations across the United States – and Special Olympics was born.
At the opening of the first World Games in Chicago in 1968, Mayor Daley said to her, “Eunice, the world will never be the same.” He was right. Thanks to Eunice’s tireless efforts, Special Olympics has grown exponentially over the last 40 years, from 40 summer day camps across the United States to a global movement, offering 30 Olympic-style sports in 192 countries – and counting. To further improve the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, the movement’s work expanded as well. Today, Special Olympics is the world research leader in the field of intellectual disabilities, and the world’s largest public health organization serving this population.
None of these advances would be possible without Eunice Kennedy Shriver. A visionary and a leader, she was tireless in her willingness to work on behalf of athletes and families. After starting the Special Olympics movement in the 1960s, she traveled the world with her husband, Sargent Shriver, and her son Timothy P. Shriver , Chairman and CEO, on behalf of Special Olympics, knocking on world leaders’ doors and bringing the movement to their doorsteps.
Thanks to her efforts, Special Olympics over the years has gained the wholehearted support of presidents, prime ministers, spiritual leaders and public figures around the world. Former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela, former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, Presidents of China Jiang Xemin and Hu Jintao, former First Lady of Panama Vivian Fernández de Torrijos, former Mexico President Vicente Fox, Prime Minister of Japan Junichiro Koizumi, Ireland President Mary McAleese, and Pope John Paul II, plus every United States president since John F. Kennedy, are just a few of the world leaders who have met with Eunice Kennedy Shriver and embraced Special Olympics, making it possible for our programs to gain a foothold in more communities around the globe.
Eunice Kennedy Shriver never faltered in her quest to bring opportunity and empowerment to individuals with intellectual disabilities. When doors were closed, she opened them. When no one would listen, she made them see, with their own eyes, the remarkable feats that people with intellectual disabilities can achieve.
An amazing woman in any time, Eunice Kennedy Shriver today is recognized as a humanitarian and a lauded figure in the field of intellectual disability research and advocacy. She is known throughout the world for her efforts and achievements and has received many honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian award.
Well into her 80s, she continued to set an example of determination and perseverance that inspired many, every day. She died at the age of 88 on Aug. 11, 2009. The global Special Olympics family looks forward to carrying her vision forward with her example leading the way.