Who Is Valerie Jarrett, Her Daughter, Parents, Husband – William Jarrett

Quick Facts

Valerie Jarrett is an American politician, author, attorney and former United States government official. She is also a one-time actress who took time out of her very busy schedule as a United States government official and senior presidential adviser, to make an appearance as herself on the CBS drama series, The Good Wife. Valerie is also a very successful businesswoman, as well as a respected civic leader.

Who Is Valerie Jarrett?

Valerie June Jarrette, formerly Valerie Bowman, was born in Shiraz, Iran, on November 14, 1956, to Barbara and James Bowman. Her father was one of the so many American doctors working in the Persian country at the time.

Valerie possibly began her very early education in Iran, until she was 5 years old, and her parent moved to London in the United Kingdom, where they stayed only for a year. In 1963, her parents finally moved back to America where she continued her early education.

After completing her high school studies, she was selected by the very prestigious Northfield Mount Heron in 1974 – this is arguably one of the best co-ed college preparatory schools in America. After performing excellently in this institution, she got admitted into Stanford University, California, where she graduated from in 1972 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

In 1981, she also obtained a Juris Doctor (J.D) from the University of Michigan Law School, Ann Harbor, Michigan. After putting in over 25 years of distinguished service in both her private legal practice and public service, Valerie was honored by the Colby College, Waterville, Maine, with an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws.

Valerie Jarrett’s Parents

Valerie was born into the Bowman’s household in the Middle Eastern country of Iran. Her father, James Bowman, was a geneticist and clinical pathologist. He was part of a highly-skilled group of American agricultural and medical experts who sought to bring their wealth of expertise and experience to help developing nations overcome their challenges.

He operated a children’s hospital in Iran, which he founded in 1956, and used his expertise to help Iran develop her medical details. He would later relocate his family back to the United States in 1963.

Valerie’s mother, Barbara Bowman, was one of the four individuals dedicated to child advocacy; they helped to create the famous Erikson Institute – named after the well respected developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst, Erik Erikson. The institute is a graduate school based in Chicago, set up to provide knowledge, training, and expertise for any professional that may be working with children.

Valerie began her political career working for the Mayor’s office in Chicago; it was there that she met, interviewed and hired – the fiancee of a US senatorial aspirant, . She also had a very successful career in business before joining the President Barrack Obama administration in 2008 as a Presidential Assistant on intergovernmental relations and public liaison, as well as being a senior adviser to the President.

Husband (William Jarrett)

In 1983, Valerie, after dating Dr. William R. Jarrett for a while, got married to him. William was a medical doctor, specialized in Gynecology and Obstetrics, and he was the son of the popular Sun-Times reporter, Vernon Jarrett.

Their marriage was a bit short-lived though, they were finally divorced in 1998 – just 5 years after their marriage. Valerie had known Willian all her life. They lived very closed to each other, and naturally became friends, then lovers and ended up married to each other.

She never disclosed reasons why she got divorced from her husband and the father of her only child but when a reporter emailed her questions about her divorce, she only replied, “Married in 1983, Separated in 1987 and Divorced in 1988”. William got married after their divorce to Dr. Sherry Jarrett and had another son and a stepdaughter, (apart from the child he had while married to Valerie).

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Her Daughter

Valerie and William’s marriage, produced a daughter, Laura Jarrett. She was born in 1983 in Chicago, Illinois. Laura is a graduate of the Harvard Law School, she graduated in 2010. She practiced as an attorney for a few years after graduation and she presently works as a correspondent for the Cable News Network (CNN) based in their Washington D.C. bureau, she joined CNN in 2016.

Laura got married in 2012 to a Canadian based politician, Tony Belkinson. President Obama attended the wedding with other very prominent U.S. government officials at the time.

Net Worth

Valerie has a net worth of about $13 million. She was a top government official for several years and also very successful in private business, thus, the impressive fortune.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.