Chelsea Clinton biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Public figure Chelsea Victoria Clinton was born on February 27, 1980, in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her name was chosen based on the Joni Mitchell song, "Chelsea Morning." At the time of her birth, father William Jefferson Clinton was serving his first term in office as the governor of Arkansas. Chelsea's mother, attorney Hillary Rodham Clinton, was a partner at the Rose Law Firm in Little Rock. Despite their hectic schedules, the Clintons made their only child the center of their busy lives. Chelsea's father kept a small desk for his daughter in his office and had breakfast with her every morning. Hillary interrupted her schedule to talk to Chelsea when she came home from school, helped out on class field trips and frequently left loving messages at Forest Park Elementary School for Chelsea while she was away on business.

Determined to foster independence and intellectual curiosity, the Clintons often pushed Chelsea hard to succeed. The precocious girl began studying ballet at the age of 4, skipped the third grade, and learned how to invest in the stock market when she was barely 11. After reading an article in a life sciences class that discussed the detrimental effects red meat has on the body, Chelsea also became a strict vegetarian.

Living at the White House

But Chelsea, who was used to being shielded from her parents' very public jobs, experienced a huge life change in 1993, when her father was elected the 42nd President of the United States. As the pre-teen child of the new First Family, Chelsea experienced intense media scrutiny. Entering an awkward, adolescent phase of her life didn't help matters, and the young Clinton often endured jokes about her appearance. As a result of the intense publicity, the Clintons developed an unspoken pact with the press that Chelsea was strictly off limits.

Outside of the White House, Chelsea's parents encouraged her to live as normal a life as possible. She attended Sidwell Friends School, where she excelled in history and science, and began taking ballet courses at the Washington School of Ballet. During her teenage years, she was so active and involved—pursuing a role in the Model United Nations, practicing for theatre and ballet performances, and even attending math camp—that she reportedly earned the Secret Service code name "Energy." In April 1995, Chelsea made what some called a "debut" to the national media, when she joined her mother on a tour of India. The press gave her positive reviews, and made special note of her intelligence and compassion.

College Years

In 1997, Chelsea made the decision to attend Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, with the intention of studying pre-med.