Lynne V. Cheney

Lynne V. Cheney, wife of Vice President Richard B. Cheney, has earned a reputation as a forceful advocate for improving education in America. She is currently a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where she is focusing on education standards and policy. Prior to her tenure at AEI, Mrs. Cheney served as Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1986 to 1993.

Mrs. Cheney served as a member of Texas Governor George W. Bush's education team and was part of an advisory group that revised Texas standards for the study of history. In the mid-1990's Mrs. Cheney chaired the Committee to Review National Standards, a group of nationally recognized scholars and educators that assessed voluntary national educational standards. Firm in her conviction that educational excellence is key to our nation's success, Mrs. Cheney has written and spoken widely on the need for high standards for all students and for tests that will show whether these standards are being achieved.

As Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 1986 to 1993, she was a national spokesperson for education reform and issued numerous reports advocating historical literacy and recommending the teaching of core knowledge in all fields of learning, from literature to science and mathematics.

Mrs. Cheney is the author of Telling the Truth (Simon & Shuster, 1995), a book on the impact of cultural trends on society and co-author with her husband of Kings of the Hill (second edition, 1996), a profile of nine of the most powerful leaders of the House of Representatives. She has also written novels, newspaper columns, and served as an editor of Washingtonian magazine. From 1996 to 1998, she was a Co-host of "Crossfire Sunday."

Mrs. Cheney currently serves as a director of the Readers Digest Association and Amex Mutual Funds.

Mrs. Cheney earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with highest honors from Colorado College, her Master of Arts from the University of Colorado, and her Ph.D. with a specialization in 19th century British literature from the University of Wisconsin. She is the recipient of awards and honorary degrees from numerous colleges and universities.

Vice President and Mrs. Cheney were married in 1964. They have two grown daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, and three grandchildren, Kate, Elizabeth, and Grace.