Hillary Clinton (1947– ) is the US secretary of state and a former First Lady and US senator. Hillary Rodham grew up in suburban Illinois and attended Wellesley before earning a law degree at Yale. There she met Bill Clinton, whom she married in 1975. While Bill served as governor of Arkansas, Hillary ran a successful law practice and worked on issues affecting children and the disadvantaged. After Bill’s election to the presidency in 1992, the Clintons set out to reform health care. Bill appointed Hillary head of the Task Force on National Health Care. Their recommendations met with rejection in Congress. Hillary faced ongoing criticism over her role in the administration. She was also investigated for her role in the Whitewater affair, though the investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing. During the President’s second term, Hillary faced further adversity when Bill’s affair with a White House intern became public. The Clintons remained married, and in 1999 Hillary announced her candidacy for the US Senate. The election made her the first First Lady to win public office. She was re-elected in 2006. In 2008, Hillary Clinton unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for president. Barack Obama won the nomination and the presidency, and he nominated Clinton secretary of state. She was confirmed and sworn into that office in January 2009.