20 Facts About Leonore Annenberg

Leonore Annenberg was noted for serving as Chief of Protocol of the United States from 1981 to 1982.

Leonore Annenberg served as the chairman and president of the Annenberg Foundation from 2002 until 2009.

The Annenbergs contributed to Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign and upon his inauguration, Leonore was named Chief of Protocol, placing her in charge of advising the president, vice president, and Secretary of State on matters relating to diplomatic protocol.

Leonore Annenberg served on many committees and boards as well.

Leonore Annenberg Cohn was born into a Jewish family in New York City on February 20,1918, to Maxwell and Clara Cohn.

Leonore Annenberg was seven years old when her mother died.

Leonore Annenberg Cohn graduated from Stanford University in 1940 with a bachelor's degree.

Leonore Annenberg said of her position, "It's all about making your guests feel respected and welcome".

Leonore Annenberg attracted some controversy during her tenure when she curtsied before the visiting Prince Charles upon arriving for a diplomatic visit, commentators saying it was unseemly in a republic which gained its independence from the same monarchy.

Leonore Annenberg resigned her post in January 1982, stating that she wanted to spend more time with her husband.

In 2001, Leonore Annenberg was awarded the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.

Mrs Leonore Annenberg served many charitable organizations and on many committees.

Mrs Leonore Annenberg was chairwoman emerita of the Foundation of Art and Preservation in Embassies, and a member of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House.

Leonore Annenberg was a member of the Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania and an active trustee emeritus of the University of Pennsylvania.

Leonore Annenberg served on the governing boards of both Annenberg Schools for Communication.

Leonore Annenberg was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004.

Lee Leonore Annenberg succeeded her husband as chairman and president of the Leonore Annenberg Foundation, an organization founded by her late husband which funds nonprofit organizations as well as education institutes and programs of the arts.

Leonore Annenberg continued to donate money to worthy causes in the fields of science, education, and art until her death.

Lee Leonore Annenberg resided in Rancho Mirage, California, prior to her death on March 12,2009, aged 91.

At the time of her death, Leonore Annenberg had been in declining health.