Condi Rice, Secretary of State Quiz

Answer: Condoleezza

Condoleezza's mom, Angelena Rice, an accomplished musician, created her only daughter's name from an Italian musical term, con dolcezza, which directs musicians to play "with sweetness."

Answer: Birmingham, Alabama, in 1954

She was born in segregated Birmingham during an era when racism was the norm. However, since her family lived in a middle-class black neighborhood called Titusville, she was somewhat sheltered from the horrors that other African Americans faced.

Answer: as a concert pianist

Condi came from a long line of musicians on her mother's side--her great-grandma, grandma, and mom were all accomplished pianists. Condi began studying piano at three and planned to perform on concert stages until she decided she was not as gifted as she'd need to be. It seems that the discipline of practicing all during her childhood and youth helped to form her strong, diligent, competitive character.
Once at a White House concert she performed with cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Answer: Denver, Colorado

Condi's family moved to Denver when she was a teenager. Her dad, a minister and educator, took a job at the University of Denver. Condi attended an integrated Catholic school there (though her family was Presbyterian).

Answer: all of these

Condi was enthusiastic about everything she studied, and she practiced diligently. Her well-educated, high-achieving parents encouraged her to be "twice as good" as others at everything she did. In this manner they hoped to shield her from racial prejudice.

Answer: 15, almost 16

A straight-A student, Condi skipped two grades. Since she could read before she started kindergarten, her mother homeschooled her for a year. Condi finished her senior year of high school and completed her first year of college simultaneously! So, at 16 she attended her high school graduation AND started her second year of college at the University of Denver.

Answer: music and political science

She started out as a music performance major. Partway through school she realized she couldn't succeed as a concert pianist. She also discovered a new passion: Russian and Soviet history.

Answer: English and Russian

She says she has research capabilities in Polish and French.

Answer: 11 years

She started college in September of 1970 and received her Ph.D. in 1981. She earned a BA (cum laude) in political science from DU in 1974, an MA in government from Notre Dame in 1975, and a doctorate in international studies from DU in 1981.

Answer: through his father

During her stint as a professor at Stanford University (where she began teaching at 25!), Condi took time off to work in the first Bush administration as a Soviet and Eastern European affairs expert. Bush Senior later introduced her to his son and the two hit it off (both are football fanatics). Condi left a prestigious position at Stanford (she was provost there) to advise Dubya during his presidential campaign.

He tapped her for the national security adviser post in 2001. By the way, my dear deceased father-in-law, Lester Pine, a card-carrying Commie and screenwriter ("Popi" and "Claudine"), made up a funny song about Condoleezza to the tune of "Mona Lisa."