57 Facts About Ann Romney

Ann Lois Romney is an American author and philanthropist.

Ann Romney is the wife of businessman and politician, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah.

From 2003 to 2007, Romney was First Lady of Massachusetts, while her husband served as governor.

Ann Romney was raised in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and attended the private Kingswood School there, where she dated Mitt Romney.

Ann Romney converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1966.

Ann Romney attended Brigham Young University, married Mitt Romney in 1969, and in 1975 received a Bachelor of Arts degree in French.

Ann Romney was involved in a number of children's charities, including Operation Kids.

Ann Romney was an active participant in her husband's US presidential campaigns in 2008 and again in 2012, when he was the Republican Party nominee.

Ann Romney was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998 and has credited a mixture of mainstream and alternative treatments with giving her a lifestyle mostly without limitations.

Ann and Mitt Romney have five sons, born between 1970 and 1981, twenty-four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Ann Romney's father, originally from Caerau near Maesteg, Wales, was a self-made businessman who in 1946 co-founded Jered Industries, a maker of heavy machinery for marine use located in Troy, Michigan.

Ann Romney went to the private Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills, which was the sister school to the all-boys Cranbrook School that he attended.

Ann Romney talked of the marriage taking place in the near future, but she insisted that he go on Mormon missionary duty on the grounds that he would regret it later if he did not.

Ann Romney graduated from high school in 1967 and began attending Brigham Young University.

Ann Romney spent the second semester of her freshman year abroad, at the University of Grenoble in France, and was there during the 1968 Winter Olympics and met athletes such as skiing star Jean-Claude Killy.

Ann Romney sent Mitt a letter mentioning being courted by another student who she said reminded her of Mitt; this alarmed Mitt as missionaries often received "Dear John" letters from girlfriends while away.

Ann Davies and Mitt Romney were married in a civil ceremony on March 21,1969, at her Bloomfield Hills home, with a reception afterward at the Bloomfield Hills Country Club.

Ann Romney received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in French language from BYU in 1975.

Ann Romney faced criticism from her parents over her decision to marry and start a large family so young.

Ann Romney felt snubbed by her peers, at a time when the feminist movement was blooming and educated women were establishing careers.

Ann Romney wanted to go on for a master's degree, perhaps in art history, but first taking care of her children, and later her health issues, forestalled that.

Ann Romney was active in the local PTA and with the League of Women Voters.

Ann Romney ran for the position of town meeting representative in Belmont in 1977.

Ann Romney studied local issues and engaged in door-to-door campaigning, and won the election.

Ann Romney was seen as superficial and too deferential to him and some columnists labelled her a "Stepford wife".

Mitt Ann Romney described watching her fail a series of neurological tests as the worst day of his life.

Ann Romney initially used corticosteroids, including intravenously, and credited them with helping stop the progression of the disease.

Ann Romney then dropped them and other medications due to counterproductive side effects.

Ann Romney is an avid equestrian, crediting her renewed involvement in it while in Park City, Utah, for much of her recovery after her multiple sclerosis diagnosis and for her continued ability to deal with the disease.

Ann Romney has received recognition in dressage as an adult amateur at the national level, including earning her 2006 Gold Medal and 2005 Silver Medal at the Grand Prix level from the United States Dressage Federation.

The Romneys helped fund Ebeling's aspirations for equestrian competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and Ann was present in Gladstone, New Jersey, in June 2012 when Ebeling, riding on the horse Rafalca won a spot on the US dressage team.

Ann Romney has been involved in a number of children's charities, including having been a director of the inner city-oriented Best Friends, which seeks to assist inner-city adolescent girls.

Ann Romney advocated a celibacy-based approach to the prevention of teen pregnancy.

Ann Romney worked extensively with the Ten Point Coalition in Boston and with other groups that promoted better safety and opportunities for urban youths.

Ann Romney was an honorary board member of Families First, a parent education program in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Ann Romney was a volunteer instructor of middle-school girls at the multicultural Mother Caroline Academy in Boston.

Ann Romney has said her interest in helping underprivileged children dates back to when she and her five boys saw a vehicle carrying a group of boys to a Massachusetts Department of Youth Services detention center.

Ann Romney began volunteering for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay soon after that, and by 2002 was serving as one of that organization's board members.

Ann Romney was on the Faith in Action Committee for the United Way, working with local religious establishments to assist at-risk children and helping to found United Way Faith and Action.

Ann Romney joined in her husband's campaign in the 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial election from the start, and nominated him at the state party convention.

Ann Romney avoided media interviews like the one that plagued her in 1994, but was a force behind the scenes during the eventually successful campaign.

In January 2003, following his election, Ann Romney became First Lady of Massachusetts, a position she held through January 2007.

Ann Romney was president of the Doric Docents, the volunteer tour directors who inform visitors to the State House about its architecture and history and the Massachusetts legislative process.

Ann Romney was an active participant in her husband's 2008 presidential campaign.

Ann Romney said she did not remember the contribution; her own public stance on abortion has evolved in a similar manner to his, and by this time she was co-chair of the capital campaign for Massachusetts Citizens for Life.

In late 2008, Ann Romney was diagnosed with mammary ductal carcinoma in situ, a non-invasive type of breast cancer, and had the lump removed via lumpectomy; she subsequently underwent radiation therapy.

In June 2009, due to her husband's request, Ann Romney became the first spouse to be included in the official Massachusetts State House gubernatorial portrait.

Ann Romney said that if she became First Lady of the United States, she would seek to work with at-risk youths and on behalf of those with multiple sclerosis.

Ann Romney expressed admiration for three former first ladies, Mamie Eisenhower, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush.

Ann Romney had long been known within the family as the "Mitt-stabilizer", due to the calming effect she had on her husband, and continued to perform that role during the up-and-down campaign.

Ann Romney cried as her husband concluded their chances were over, then appeared stricken as she went on stage with him following his concession speech.

Ann Romney holds the position of Global Ambassador there, and she gives inspirational talks based on overcoming the challenges of living with a disease.

Ann Romney was puzzled by Republican front-runner Donald Trump's success despite touting his wealth whereas the Romneys had not, yet still were criticized for not relating to common voters because of theirs.

Ann Romney earned at least one vote for president when her husband cast a write-in vote for her in November 2016, later saying he voted for "a person who I admire deeply, who I think would be an excellent president".

Two years later Ann Romney hit the campaign trail again, this time to support her husband in the 2018 United States Senate election in Utah.

Ann Romney's campaign was successful and he took office in January 2019.

In 2005, Ann Romney received an honorary degree from Mount Ida College.