Michael Huffington
Encyclopedia
Michael Huffington is an American
politician
, bisexual activist, and film producer. He was a member of the Republican Party
, and a member of the United States House of Representatives
for one term, 1993–1995, from California
. Huffington was married to Arianna Huffington
, the Greek
-born co-founder of The Huffington Post, from 1986 to 1997.
, the founder of the natural gas exploration company, Roy M. Huffington, Inc. (HUFFCO).
Huffington graduated from Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana
, in 1965 where he received the Central States Amateur Rowing Association Medal when he rowed on the light weight crew. After graduation he was elected to the Culver Chapter of the Cum Laude Society
. He received a BS
degree in engineering and a BA
degree in economics concurrently from Stanford University
in 1970. Huffington was a member of the varsity crew, student senator, and co-president of his senior class. After Stanford, he received an MBA in finance from Harvard University
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
in 1972.
In 1972, Huffington started work for The First National Bank of Chicago, and in 1974 he co-founded Simmons & Huffington, Inc. From 1976 to 1990, he served as vice chairman of Huffco, the family-owned energy business founded by his father Roy M. Huffington
.
In 1986, President Ronald Reagan
appointed Huffington as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Negotiations Policy with responsibility for conventional arms control
negotiations. He was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for outstanding public service.
In 1992, Huffington was elected to the House of Representatives
from California's 22nd District (Santa Barbara
and San Luis Obispo
counties). He spent $5.4 million dollars on his campaign. He defeated veteran incumbent Bob Lagomarsino in the Republican primary election
, then Santa Barbara County Supervisor Gloria Ochoa in the general election
. Huffington donated his entire congressional salary to the Partnership for Children of Santa Barbara County in 1993 and to the Partnership for Children of San Luis Obispo County in 1994.
After one term in the House, Huffington spent $28 million dollars in a bid for a seat in the United States Senate
in 1994. In the Republican primary
, he defeated William E. Dannemeyer
. At the time, Huffington's was the most expensive campaign in a non-presidential election in American history. Huffington lost in the general election by 1.9 percent of the vote to Dianne Feinstein
.
During 1998, Huffington was co-chairman (along with actor and director Rob Reiner
) of Proposition 10 in California, which increased the state excise tax on cigarette
s by 50 cents per pack. The resulting multi-hundred million dollars of tax revenue is being used for pre-natal health care and for the health care
and education of children under six years of age.
In the 2003 California recall election
, Huffington endorsed Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger
. His ex-wife, Arianna Huffington
, was an opposing candidate. She withdrew before the election even though her name remained on the ballot.
, a Greek-born writer and lecturer. They were married until 1997.
In 1998 Huffington disclosed
that he was bisexual.
In 1998 Huffington provided the initial grant that launched SOIN (Sexual Orientation Issues in the News) at the University of Southern California
's Annenberg School of Communication.
In 2005 Huffington helped to establish a summer fellowship program for LGBT
students at Stanford University
.
In 2006, Huffington co-chaired the Log Cabin Republicans
"The Courage To Lead: An Evening With The Governor" dinner that honored California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
on June 29, 2006. Huffington also personally contributed $1 for every $2 contributed to the Log Cabin Republicans (a 501(c)(4) tax designated organization) for that dinner.
In 2006, Huffington became a Director of 'It's My Party Too'. The group was founded by former Governor Christine Todd Whitman
. A moderate
Republican organization with libertarian
leanings, it advocated fiscal conservatism
, social progressivism, environmental protection
and limited government
interference in personal matters. In 2007, It's My Party Too evolved into the Republican Leadership Council.
In December 2006, he became a blog
ger on the Huffington Post on a variety of subjects.
On October 11, 2009 he spoke at the National Equality March
rally at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Among his other production credits:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, bisexual activist, and film producer. He was a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, and a member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for one term, 1993–1995, from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Huffington was married to Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington is a Greek American author and syndicated columnist. She is best known as co-founder of the news website The Huffington Post. A popular conservative commentator in the mid-1990s, she adopted more liberal political beliefs in the late 1990s...
, the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
-born co-founder of The Huffington Post, from 1986 to 1997.
Early years
Huffington was born on September 3, 1947 to Celeste Phyllis and Roy Michael HuffingtonRoy M. Huffington
Roy Michael Huffington was an American oilman originally from Tomball in Harris County, Texas, who later served as United States Ambassador to Austria.-Early career:...
, the founder of the natural gas exploration company, Roy M. Huffington, Inc. (HUFFCO).
Huffington graduated from Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana
Culver, Indiana
Culver is a town in Marshall County, Indiana, United States. Culver is part of Union Township that also includes the communities of Burr Oak, Hibbard, Maxinkuckee and Rutland. The population was 1,353 at the 2010 census...
, in 1965 where he received the Central States Amateur Rowing Association Medal when he rowed on the light weight crew. After graduation he was elected to the Culver Chapter of the Cum Laude Society
Cum Laude Society
The Cum Laude Society is an organization that honors scholastic achievement at secondary institutions, similar to the Phi Beta Kappa Society, which honors scholastic achievements at the university level. It was founded in 1906 as the Alpha Delta Tau fraternity and changed its name in the 1950s...
. He received a BS
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in engineering and a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in economics concurrently from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1970. Huffington was a member of the varsity crew, student senator, and co-president of his senior class. After Stanford, he received an MBA in finance from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
in 1972.
In 1972, Huffington started work for The First National Bank of Chicago, and in 1974 he co-founded Simmons & Huffington, Inc. From 1976 to 1990, he served as vice chairman of Huffco, the family-owned energy business founded by his father Roy M. Huffington
Roy M. Huffington
Roy Michael Huffington was an American oilman originally from Tomball in Harris County, Texas, who later served as United States Ambassador to Austria.-Early career:...
.
Politics
Huffington's interest in politics began in 1968, when he was a summer intern for freshman Congressman George H.W. Bush in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
In 1986, President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
appointed Huffington as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Negotiations Policy with responsibility for conventional arms control
Arms control
Arms control is an umbrella term for restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation, and usage of weapons, especially weapons of mass destruction...
negotiations. He was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for outstanding public service.
In 1992, Huffington was elected to the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from California's 22nd District (Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific coast. As of 2010 the county had a population of 423,895. The county seat is Santa Barbara and the largest city is Santa Maria.-History:...
and San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County is a county located along the Pacific Ocean in the Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census its population was 269,637, up from 246,681 at the 2000 census...
counties). He spent $5.4 million dollars on his campaign. He defeated veteran incumbent Bob Lagomarsino in the Republican primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, then Santa Barbara County Supervisor Gloria Ochoa in the general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
. Huffington donated his entire congressional salary to the Partnership for Children of Santa Barbara County in 1993 and to the Partnership for Children of San Luis Obispo County in 1994.
After one term in the House, Huffington spent $28 million dollars in a bid for a seat in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 1994. In the Republican primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, he defeated William E. Dannemeyer
William E. Dannemeyer
William Edwin Dannemeyer is a conservative American politician, activist, and author, known for his anti-gay political position. He is currently honorary national chairman of Citizens for a Better America. He served as U.S...
. At the time, Huffington's was the most expensive campaign in a non-presidential election in American history. Huffington lost in the general election by 1.9 percent of the vote to Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988....
.
During 1998, Huffington was co-chairman (along with actor and director Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
) of Proposition 10 in California, which increased the state excise tax on cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s by 50 cents per pack. The resulting multi-hundred million dollars of tax revenue is being used for pre-natal health care and for the health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
and education of children under six years of age.
In the 2003 California recall election
California recall election, 2003
The 2003 California gubernatorial recall election was a special election permitted under California state law. It resulted in voters replacing incumbent Democratic Governor Gray Davis with Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger. The recall effort spanned the latter half of 2003...
, Huffington endorsed Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
. His ex-wife, Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington is a Greek American author and syndicated columnist. She is best known as co-founder of the news website The Huffington Post. A popular conservative commentator in the mid-1990s, she adopted more liberal political beliefs in the late 1990s...
, was an opposing candidate. She withdrew before the election even though her name remained on the ballot.
Personal life
On April 12, 1986 Huffington married Arianna StassinopoulosArianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington is a Greek American author and syndicated columnist. She is best known as co-founder of the news website The Huffington Post. A popular conservative commentator in the mid-1990s, she adopted more liberal political beliefs in the late 1990s...
, a Greek-born writer and lecturer. They were married until 1997.
In 1998 Huffington disclosed
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
that he was bisexual.
In 1998 Huffington provided the initial grant that launched SOIN (Sexual Orientation Issues in the News) at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
's Annenberg School of Communication.
In 2005 Huffington helped to establish a summer fellowship program for LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
students at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.
In 2006, Huffington co-chaired the Log Cabin Republicans
Log Cabin Republicans
The Log Cabin Republicans is an organization that works within the Republican Party to advocate equal rights for all Americans, including gays and lesbians in the United States with state chapters and a national office in Washington, D.C...
"The Courage To Lead: An Evening With The Governor" dinner that honored California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
on June 29, 2006. Huffington also personally contributed $1 for every $2 contributed to the Log Cabin Republicans (a 501(c)(4) tax designated organization) for that dinner.
In 2006, Huffington became a Director of 'It's My Party Too'. The group was founded by former Governor Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd "Christie" Whitman is an American Republican politician and author who served as the 50th Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, and was the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. She was New...
. A moderate
Moderate
In politics and religion, a moderate is an individual who is not extreme, partisan or radical. In recent years, political moderates has gained traction as a buzzword....
Republican organization with libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
leanings, it advocated fiscal conservatism
Fiscal conservatism
Fiscal conservatism is a political term used to describe a fiscal policy that advocates avoiding deficit spending. Fiscal conservatives often consider reduction of overall government spending and national debt as well as ensuring balanced budget of paramount importance...
, social progressivism, environmental protection
Environmental protection
Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently...
and limited government
Limited government
Limited government is a government which anything more than minimal governmental intervention in personal liberties and the economy is generally disallowed by law, usually in a written constitution. It is written in the United States Constitution in Article 1, Section 8...
interference in personal matters. In 2007, It's My Party Too evolved into the Republican Leadership Council.
In December 2006, he became a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger on the Huffington Post on a variety of subjects.
On October 11, 2009 he spoke at the National Equality March
National Equality March
The National Equality March was a national political rally that occurred October 11, 2009 in Washington, D.C.. It called for equal protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in all matters governed by civil law in all 50 states and the District of Columbia...
rally at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Film production
Huffington found a post-political career as a film producer. From 1991 to 2000, he was co-owner of Crest Films Limited.Among his other production credits:
- Huffington was a financial contributor to Out of the Past, a documentary that won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film FestivalThe Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
in 1998. - Huffington executive produced three short films at the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
: "The Promise" in 1998, "Lost and Found" in 1999, and "Nuclear Family" in 2000. - He was an executive producer of the 2000 television series, The Secret Adventures of Jules VerneThe Secret Adventures of Jules VerneThe Secret Adventures of Jules Verne is a 22-episode science fiction television series in the steampunk genre that first aired in June 2000 on CBC Television in Canada and in syndication in the United States....
. - He was an executive producer of the 2007 AFIAmerican Film InstituteThe American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
film Santa Croce, which was distributed worldwide on through the iTunes StoreITunes StoreThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
and Shorts International. - He was an executive producer of For the Bible Tells Me SoFor the Bible Tells Me SoFor the Bible Tells Me So is a 2007 American documentary film directed by Daniel G. Karslake about homosexuality and its perceived conflict with religion, as well as various interpretations of what the Bible says about same-sex sexuality...
, a documentary that premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. - He was an executive producer of A Jihad for Love, a documentary that premiered at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival.
- He was executive producer of We're All Angels, a 2007 documentary about gayGayGay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
ChristianChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
pop singers Jason and deMarcoJason and deMarcoJason Warner and deMarco DeCiccio are a Christian musical duo with outreach to the LGBT community.- Background :...
which premiered on Showtime on June 12, 2008. - He was an executive producer of Bi the WayBi the WayBi the Way is a 2008 documentary film about bisexuality in the United States. It had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas...
, a documentary about bisexuality in America which premiered at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival. - He was an executive producer of American PrimitiveAmerican PrimitiveAmerican Primitive is a 2008 film from Cape Cod Films starring Danielle Savre and Tate Donovan.-Cast:*Susan Anspach as Martha*Johanna Braddy as Lucy Carmichael*Stacy Dash as Joy Crowley*Tate Donovan as Harry Goodhart*Jordan-Claire Green as Bridget...
which premiered at the 2009 Palm Springs International Film FestivalPalm Springs International Film FestivalPalm Springs International Film Festival is a film festival held in Palm Springs, California. It was started in 1989 and is held annually in January...
. - He is a producer of Father vs. Son, a comedy which premiered at WorldFest 2010 and won The Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best World Premiere - Feature Films.
- He is a producer of Dissolution which premiered at the 2010 Jerusalem International Film Festival and won the Best Drama Award.
- He is a producer of GrassrootsGrassroots (film)Grassroots is an American film directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal, based on the book Zioncheck for President by Phil Campbell. The film stars Jason Biggs as Phil Campbell, Joel David Moore as Grant Cogswell, Lauren Ambrose as Emily and Cedric the Entertainer as Richard McIver.- Cast :* Jason Biggs as...
directed by Stephen GyllenhaalStephen Gyllenhaal-Personal life:Gyllenhaal was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Virginia Lowrie and Hugh Anders Gyllenhaal. The Gyllenhaal family is a descendant of the cavalry officer Nils Gunnesson Haal, who was ennobled in 1652 when Queen Christina of Sweden conferred upon him the crest and family name,...
, based on the book Zioncheck for President by Phil Campbell. - He is a producer of After The Fire directed by Gudio Verweyen, inspired by the Pulitzer Prize story & New York Times bestseller After The Fire by Robin G. Fisher.
- He is a producer of Every Three Seconds which is presently being filmed.