Eleanor Wheeler

**Eleanor Raquel Wheeler** (née **Poole**; born September 14, 1965) is an American politician, diplomat, and lawyer serving as the junior U.S. Senator from New York since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, she served as the U.S. Secretary of State from 2010 to 2013, and as the U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco from 2009 to 2010.

Born in Newport Beach, California, Wheeler graduated from Corona del Mar High School in 1983. After graduating, she moved to New York City and studied international relations at New York University, graduating in 1987. She remained in New York and began attending Columbia Law School. While at Columbia, Wheeler was accepted into their international dual degree program; she studied two years at Columbia and two years at Pantheon-Sorbonne University in Paris, France, graduating with both American and French law degrees in 1991. After finishing her education in Paris, Wheeler returned to New York and began working as legal counsel for the Mayor of New York City. She left this position in 1996, and became a Foreign Service Officer. As a diplomat, Wheeler was stationed in Luxembourg, Belgium, Lithuania, and France from 1996 to 2009. She left her career as a Foreign Service Officer in 2009, after being nominated to serve as United States Ambassador to France and Monaco.

Wheeler began her career in politics in 2009, after it was announced that she'd be appointed to serve as United States Ambassador to France and Monaco. She was confirmed by the United States Senate shortly afterwards, and moved to Hôtel de Pontalba in Paris to begin serving as Ambassador. Following the resignation of Alisha Talbot as United States Secretary of State, it was confirmed that Wheeler was expected to be nominated to fill the vacancy. She was confirmed by the Senate and took office as Secretary on May 16, 2010, later leaving office with the rest of the administration on January 20, 2013. Wheeler experienced high visibility and approval ratings during her time as Secretary of State, and later announced her candidacy for United States Senate in New York to succeed the retiring Jones Holloway in 2014. She went on to easily win the Democratic nomination, and later won the general election with over 68% of the vote.

A widely popular and visible political figure nationwide, Wheeler has been theorized as a potential future President of the United States.

## Early life and family

Wheeler was born on September 14, 1965 in Newport Beach, California to parents Dennis (born 1933) and Paulette Poole (née *Moolman*; born 1935). She was raised in the affluent Corona del Mar neighborhood of Newport Beach. Dennis was the CEO and founder of an advertising firm, while Paulette was the headmistress of a private elementary school for special needs children. Both of her parents had immigrated to the United States from Cape Town, South Africa in 1962; Wheeler is of English and Cornish descent through her father, while her mother is an Afrikaner of Dutch and Flemish-Belgian descent. She can understand spoken Afrikaans, but cannot speak, read, or write it. Wheeler is the eldest of three daughters; her younger siblings include Cynthia, born  (1968-04-13) April 13, 1968 (age 55), and Janel, born  (1970-01-24) January 24, 1970 (age 54).

## Education, law career, and diplomacy

Wheeler attended public schooling in Newport Beach. She began her education in 1970, attending a local public elementary school. Wheeler began high school in 1979, attending Corona del Mar High School. While in high school, Wheeler was an honors student who was also a varsity cheerleader and president of her graduating class. She graduated from high school in 1983, and won a number of superlatives such as Most Popular and Most Likely to Become President, while also being elected prom queen. After graduating from high school, Wheeler moved to New York City to attend New York University. She graduated with a degree in international relations and a minor in French studies in 1987.

After finishing her undergraduate degree, Wheeler enrolled in Columbia Law School. While a Columbia student, Wheeler was accepted into their international dual degree program; she studied two years at Columbia and two years at Pantheon-Sorbonne University in Paris, France, graduating with both American and French law degrees in 1991. The classes she took in Paris were taught entirely in the French language. After finishing her law degree, Wheeler returned to New York City from Paris and began working as legal counsel for the Mayor of New York City. In 1995, Wheeler applied to become a Foreign Service Officer. After a series of interviews and tests, she was accepted and stationed in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg at the U.S. Embassy in 1996, leaving her career as a lawyer. In 1999, Wheeler was transferred to Brussels, Belgium, and was transferred to Vilnius, Lithuania in 2003. Wheeler received her final transfer in 2006, when she was stationed in Paris, France. In 2009, Wheeler left her career as a diplomat following her nomination as U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco.

## Political positions

*Main article: Political positions of Eleanor Wheeler.*

## Personal life

Wheeler began dating lawyer Robert Wheeler in 1990, while they were both American students from Columbia Law School in Paris, France. They became engaged in 1993, and married the following year. After beginning her career in diplomacy, Robert left his career as a lawyer and became TEFL certified in order to teach the English language abroad. They have two children together: Katherine "Katy", born  (1999-02-03) February 3, 1999 (age 24), and Meaghan, born  (2000-04-16) April 16, 2000 (age 23). Katy was born in Luxembourg City and is a successful model, while Meaghan was born in Brussels.

After becoming the U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco in 2009, the family moved into the Hôtel de Pontalba in Paris. When Wheeler was appointed U.S. Secretary of State in 2010, the family purchased a five-bedroom townhouse in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., and Robert returned to his law career. After leaving office in 2013, the family retained their D.C. townhouse but moved into a five-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Following her election to United States Senate in 2015, the family began splitting their time between their New York apartment and D.C. townhouse.