6 Things to Know About Dr. Jill Biden

Kenzie Mastroe

August 19, 2020 at 1:26 AM·5 min read

We’ve been living in a world of hateful chaos for four long years now. In November, we have one shot to end that and set our country on a path of healing and growth. Michelle Obama gave a riveting speech last night at the Democratic National Convention and implored Americans to vote for Joe Biden this fall. “Let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can. Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country,” Obama said during the digital convention. “He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is,” she said. Electing Joe Biden will not only help bring an end to the hateful rhetoric we have seen during the last four years, but it will also give us another valuable asset: Dr. Jill Biden.

Dr. Jill Biden married presidential candidate Joe Biden in 1977 and they have been a powerhouse of intellect and innovation ever since. We hear a lot about Joe Biden’s background in the media but we don’t hear nearly enough about his impressive wife’s career and accomplishments. To get to know this incredible woman a little better, here are a few facts you should know about Dr. Jill Biden.

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She’s a doctor

While not a medical doctor, Dr. Biden earned her doctorate in education from the University of Delaware in 2007. Before that, she earned a master’s degree in English from Villanova University and a master’s degree in reading from West Chester University. I think it’s safe to say she’s qualified to help reform our broken education system.

She turned down Joe’s wedding proposal four times

Yup, Joe had to propose to Jill a whopping five times before she finally said yes! So what was the holdup? Turns out it was her concern for Joe’s children. In a 2016 interview with Vogue she said “Because by that time, of course, I had fallen in love with the boys, and I really felt that this marriage had to work. Because they had lost their mom, and I couldn’t have them lose another mother. So I had to be 100 percent sure.”

She met Joe on a blind date

In that same interview with Vogue, Jill revealed that she was set up with Joe on a blind date arranged by Joe’s brother. “We went out to see A Man and a Woman at the movie theater in Philadelphia, and we really hit it off,” she said. “When we came home…he shook my hand good night. I went upstairs and called my mother at 1:00 a.m. and said, ‘Mom, I finally met a gentleman.'”

View this post on Instagram

One year. Thank you, #TeamJoe.
A post shared by Dr. Jill Biden (@drbiden) on Apr 25, 2020 at 4:35pm PDT

She helped Joe choose Kamala Harris as his running mate

In a profile for CBS, Joe said “What Jill is best at helping me do is figure out who the people around me would be most compatible with me.” Later, when speaking about choosing a Vice President Jill said “We’ve talked about the different women candidates, but it’s gotta be Joe’s decision. Who he feels most comfortable with, who shares his values. And that’s what he’s always said that’s what he and Barack had.” On August 11, 2020, Joe Biden announced he had chosen Kamala Harris as to be his Vice Presidential running mate.

She’s a children’s book author

Earlier this year, Dr. Jill wrote a children’s book about her husband titled Joey: The Story of Joe Biden. The book details the early years of Joe’s life and highlights his role as a peacemaker and defender of bullied peers.

She’s a dog lover

Dr. Jill and Joe are not only the proud parents of their human children, but they are also raising two dashingly handsome pups named Champ and Major. They are both German shepherds and Major is the most recent addition to the Biden family. He was adopted by the Bidens after being fostered by them through the Delaware Humane Association.

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??Call time — had to give my boys ??doggie ice cream to keep them quiet! #AllBidensLoveIceCream ????
A post shared by Dr. Jill Biden (@drbiden) on Nov 6, 2019 at 3:46pm PST