Linda McMahon’s parents were employees at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, a military base.
Recently, President-elect Donald Trump named Linda McMahon, his transition co-chair, as his pick for the next secretary of the Department of Education.
Highlights
- President Trump nominated his transition co-chair, Linda McMahon, as Education Secretary.
- Linda was born to her father, Henry Edwards, and her mother, Evelyn Edwards.
- Her mother, Evelyn, worked in the same building as Vince McMahon’s mother, but they had not met.
The decision, which Trump announced Tuesday, November 19, 2024, confirming CNN’s earlier reporting, took shape after it became clear that McMahon would be passed over for Commerce secretary. In the statement, Trump said,
“Linda will use her decades of Leadership experience, and deep understanding of both Education and Business, to empower the next Generation of American Students and Workers, and make America Number One in Education in the World. We will send Education BACK TO THE STATES, and Linda will spearhead that effort,”
Donald Trump
While Linda has executive branch experience, she will tackle education policy at the highest level after only scattered experience with it in the past.
McMahon, a prominent Republican donor and a former pro-wrestling executive, served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term.
She was appointed in 2017 and resigned in 2019 to become the chair of American First Action, a pro-Trump super PAC.
Linda is the board chair of the America First Policy Institute, a pro-Trump think tank formed in 2021 by McMahon, Larry Kudlow, and other advisers from the first Trump administration.
McMahon ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate in Connecticut twice, losing in 2010 and 2012. She self-funded those campaigns, spending $50.1 million in 2010 and $48.7 million in 2012.
During Trump’s first presidential campaign, McMahon donated over $7 million to two pro-Trumo super PACs.
Linda McMahon’s Father, Henry Edwards, Passed Away In Chapel Hill
Linda McMahon’s father, Henry Walton Edwards, was born on August 1, 1918, in North Carolina, United States.
Henry married Evelyn A. (Strickland) Carson on April 23, 1943, in Camden, North Carolina, United States.
Linda grew up as a Tomboy, playing basketball and baseball with her father. Henry served at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, a military base.
Sadly, Henry passed away on April 9, 1980, at the age of 61, in Chapel Hill, Orange, North Carolina.
Linda McMahon’s Mother, Evelyn Edwards, Was A Budget Analyst At NARF
Linda McMahon’s mother, Evelyn S. (Edwards) Carson, was born in New Bern on February 26, 1927. She gave birth to Linda when she was only 21 years old.
Evelyn grew up with her brother, Lawrence Strickland of Virginia Beach, VA, and sister, Cindy McHone of Knoxville, TN.
Until she retired from civil service, Evelyn was a budget analyst at NARF at the Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point, NC.
In addition, Evelyn worked in the same building as Vince McMahon’s mother, but they had not met.
After Henry’s tragic passing, Evelyn subsequently married John Carson, who also passed away after a few years of marriage.
Later, she moved to Connecticut to be closer to Linda and her husband, Vince, and their two children, Shane, with his wife, Marissa and Stephanie, and her husband, Paul.
Sadly, Evelyn passed away on June 30, 2020, peacefully at her home in Greenwich, CT, at the age of 93. The exact cause of passing has not been revealed yet.
Stephanie McMahon took to her official Twitter handle to announce the tragic news of her grandmother’s passing. She wrote,
Last week my 93 yr old grandmother passed peacefully, surrounded by people who love her. One of the last things she said to me was, “Let there be love”. Love is what heals us all. To anyone who is hurting or struggling, I send my love to you. #RIPMima Thank you for everything.
Stephanie McMahon
Her funeral service was held on July 5, 2020, and she was buried at Greenleaf Memorial Park.
WWE Co-Founder Linda McMahon Belongs To Welsh-American Family
Although Linda and her family lived in America, her ancestors had a deep-rooted history with Wales.
They followed American and Welsh culture and festivals. Linda and her family hold American nationality and Welsh-American ethnicity.
Currently, Linda is living with her husband, Vince McMahon, with whom she married in 1966.
Linda and Vince founded the sports entertainment company Titan Sports, Inc., where she was president and later CEO from 1980 to 2009.
Her family includes four grandchildren: Aurora Rose Levesque, Murphy Claire Levesque, Declan James McMahon, and Kenyon McMahon.
Additional Information
- Linda McMahon has an estimated net worth of over $3.2 billion as of 2024.
- Governor Jodi Rell appointed her to the State Board of Education in January 2009.
- On April 1, 2010, Linda resigned from the State Board of Education because state law prohibits board members from soliciting campaign contributions.
 Carson, was born in New Bern on February 26, 1927. She gave birth to Linda when she was only 21.){kind=link}