Wendy P. McCaw
Encyclopedia
Wendy McCaw is the owner of the Santa Barbara News-Press
.
She was born Wendy Petrak in Palo Alto, California
in 1951. She attended Stanford University
where she majored in history and met Craig McCaw
during their sophomore year. They married in 1974 a year after graduation. During their marriage they grew McCaw Communications into McCaw Cellular, eventually selling to AT&T in 1994. They divorced several years later.
In 2000, Wendy McCaw purchased the Santa Barbara News-Press, one of California's oldest newspapers, from the New York Times. A defender of animal rights, Wendy McCaw gave millions in donations in the 1990s to help return Keiko
, the orca star of "Free Willy
," to the wild. In her editorials in the News-Press, Mrs. McCaw is a staunch defender of animal rights, arguing against whaling operations and a federally funded hunt to kill feral pigs on the Santa Barbara Channel Islands.
In recognition of her work, Ms. McCaw has been the recipient of several awards including the 2004 Michael Douglas Philanthropist of the Year Award and in 2005 the Humane Society of the United States
honored her at the Genesis Awards for "Outstanding Newspaper Editorials," citing "an unrivaled collection of 44 insightful, timely and reasoned editorials, exploring an array of significant animal issues in need of public attention and effecting change in the process."
Ms. McCaw currently resides in Santa Barbara with her fiance, Arthur von Wiesenberger, their cat and two donkeys.
Santa Barbara News-Press
The Santa Barbara News-Press is a broadsheet newspaper based in Santa Barbara, California.-History:The News-Press asserts it is the oldest daily newspaper in Southern California, publishing since 1855...
.
She was born Wendy Petrak in Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
in 1951. She attended 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...
where she majored in history and met Craig McCaw
Craig McCaw
Craig McCaw is a Seattle-area businessman and entrepreneur who achieved success as a pioneer in the cellular phone industry. He is the founder of McCaw Cellular and Clearwire Corporation.-Early life and cable TV beginnings:Craig is the second of four sons of Marion and John Elroy McCaw...
during their sophomore year. They married in 1974 a year after graduation. During their marriage they grew McCaw Communications into McCaw Cellular, eventually selling to AT&T in 1994. They divorced several years later.
In 2000, Wendy McCaw purchased the Santa Barbara News-Press, one of California's oldest newspapers, from the New York Times. A defender of animal rights, Wendy McCaw gave millions in donations in the 1990s to help return Keiko
Keiko
-Possible meanings:As with many Japanese names, Keiko can be written using a number of different kanji. Some of the most common ways of writing Keiko are:* 恵子 — "lucky/blessed child"...
, the orca star of "Free Willy
Free Willy
Free Willy is a 1993 family film directed by Simon Wincer, and released by Warner Bros. under its Family Entertainment label. The film stars Jason James Richter as a young boy who befriends an orca whale, named "Willy."...
," to the wild. In her editorials in the News-Press, Mrs. McCaw is a staunch defender of animal rights, arguing against whaling operations and a federally funded hunt to kill feral pigs on the Santa Barbara Channel Islands.
In recognition of her work, Ms. McCaw has been the recipient of several awards including the 2004 Michael Douglas Philanthropist of the Year Award and in 2005 the Humane Society of the United States
Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States , based in Washington, D.C., is the largest animal advocacy organization in the world. In 2009, HSUS reported assets of over US$160 million....
honored her at the Genesis Awards for "Outstanding Newspaper Editorials," citing "an unrivaled collection of 44 insightful, timely and reasoned editorials, exploring an array of significant animal issues in need of public attention and effecting change in the process."
Ms. McCaw currently resides in Santa Barbara with her fiance, Arthur von Wiesenberger, their cat and two donkeys.